That tingle of danger had started when he’d gone to the airport the day before to pick up Susan Evers…
Chapter Two
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Justin kept watch on the blonde from the moment she’d exited the gate and headed toward the luggage carousel. The photograph he’d been given didn’t begin to do her looks justice. Dex had described her as classy, a cool beauty. But nothing was cold about Susan Evers. Yes, she held her chin high like a queen surveying her realm, and her steps were measured, the sway of her hips understated. Her piercing blue gaze might have made a man with less fortitude back away, but Justin read her expression as a challenge. One he was only too eager to accept.
He stepped forward, giving her a wide smile, which she noted, her gaze locking with his. “Susan Evers?” he asked, arching a brow.
“Yes, and you are?”
“Justin Walsh. Dex Haygood sent me. I have a limo parked outside to take you to the estate.”
“I have a bag,” she said, waving a hand toward the carousel which was already spitting out luggage from the flight.
“Tell me when you see your bag. I’ll get it for you.”
Her chin notched higher. “I’m quite capable—”
“I’m sure you are,” he said with a self-effacing grin, “but my mama would spank me if I didn’t offer a lady a hand.”
Her lips had pursed, and he felt an answering tug in his groin. Once he found her hard-shell case and taken her carry-on bag, he led the way through the crowd, out the door and to a taxi stand he’d muscled into by virtue of the pricy vehicle he’d parked just outside the baggage area.
After settling her in the back and stowing her bags in the trunk, he left the airport, heading west and then south, the white afternoon sun glaring through the tinted windshield. All the while, he darted glances at the rearview mirror to watch her as she stared out the passenger window at the scenery. Her expression, when she wasn’t frowning at him, was just beginning to lose its pinched tension.
“Must be quite a change from Chicago,” he said, determined to get her to relax. “I’m from So Cal myself, just south of LA. On the coast. Acclimating here didn’t take long. Guess the biggest change for me is having an address that isn’t a boat slip or an APO. I’m ex-military, like Dex and Angel. You met Angel when he came to Chicago, right?” When her gaze turned, but her expression remained set, he took a deep breath and continued the one-sided conversation. If she didn’t want to join in, fine, but he was curious about her now, and the next time they met, preferably with a little alcohol to loosen her jaw, maybe she’d feel a little more comfortable with him.
Mid-sentence as he was describing how he’d managed to wind up a SEAL, he sped up to pass a pair of teenagers on scooters and a couple in a compact car, paying more attention to the beach they passed than the speed they were traveling. A quick glance in his rearview mirror made him realize he had a tail. A nondescript, tan-colored car. One that had fallen in behind his vehicle when he’d left the terminal, and which seemed to be keeping pace with his speed, but hung back a couple of car lengths, perhaps to hide the fact it was following them.
Not overly concerned just yet, Justin abruptly took the next exit without benefit of a turn signal, and then a hard right at a stop sign, circling under the bridge before continuing toward his destination. A few minutes later, the tan-colored car appeared behind him again.
Damn. “Yeah, BUDs training was tough, but worth it. Made a lot of friends,” he said, knowing his speech was slowing, and hoping she didn’t notice he’d been maneuvering to lose the car behind them. He didn’t want her worried. But he was driving Halloran’s main town car. His tail might think Halloran himself was inside.
Justin tightened his grip on the steering wheel and jammed his foot on the gas pedal. The limo shot forward. A gasp sounded from the back seat, but a quick glance reassured him Susan was all right. In fact, she was frowning. More angry than frightened by the speed they were traveling at.
“Met Dex when I was assigned to my first SEAL team,” he said, determined to keep her attention on him, rather than becoming aware of the trouble they’d attracted. “We’ve been friends for years. Left the Navy together. Hired on with a black ops company babysitting big boats passing by Somalia. Now, I’m babysitting a billionaire…” They were flying through an industrial area with steel buildings lined up in deep rows. Ahead, a tractor trailer was beginning to back into the street.
Justin shifted into the left lane, skirting the rear of the beeping truck before it blocked the road. Satisfied he’d lost the other car, he executed several more turns through the area, before taking a more direct route to the south end of the island.
Behind him, Susan glared daggers into the rearview mirror, but kept silent, her lush mouth crimped.
He gave her a wink. “Did I mention I’ve been to school to learn evasive driving techniques? Yeah, Angel recommended a training camp in Central America—same place he first met Maya…”
By the time he dropped her bags at the door of her bungalow, he noted she’d recovered her calm. A shame, that. He’d liked the fiery anger in her eyes.
And then she reached into her purse and pulled out a wad of cash, her hand held out to offer him a tip—a move to put him firmly in his place, which nearly made him laugh.
Ignoring her widening eyes, he curled her hands over the crisp bills and bent to kiss her cheek. So close her light floral scent tickled his nose, he forced himself to straighten and give her a wink. “Welcome to the Bahamas, Susie Q.” And then he walked away.
As much as he would have liked to stay and carry her bags inside, he was pretty sure he’d tested the limits of her patience with his constant chatter and high-octane driving. Besides, he had more pressing matters to attend to—like letting Dex know he’d been followed from the airport. Maybe the incident was nothing. Or maybe the tail had been someone looking for a random, rich target to jump. But being followed might also indicate another direct threat to Halloran was imminent. Like the shark-dive crew turned pirates who’d thought they could kidnap Halloran’s high-end passengers and hold the group just long enough to funnel off money from their accounts to keep them comfortable for years.
He found Dex inside the large living room of the main house, sitting with his wife Lace, along with Angel and Maya, who had arrived the night before from Miami where Angel was head of a local DEA task force and Maya ran the Miami office for the travel agency.
Justin gave a wave to the group. “Susie Q’s in her bungalow, safe and sound.”
Lace laughed. “Susie Q? Bet she hates that.” She grinned and gave Maya a direct stare. “Come with? We can help her unpack.” The two women rose, laughing as they left the room.
Locking gazes with Dex, Justin jerked his chin toward the door. “It’s business.”
Angel let out a deep breath and relaxed against the sofa. “You certainly know how to clear a room, Walsh.”
Dex eased off the couch, his expression instantly alert, and followed him outside.
After Justin filled him in, they headed straight for security. Extra guards were added. Halloran’s whereabouts verified. And although they would have loved to suggest their employer keep indoors, they simply doubled the guards who kept watch discreetly from a distance. Halloran paid them so he didn’t have to worry.
“We’re all heading out on the Clementine tomorrow,” Justin said, tapping his fingers on the veranda railing. “Should we scuttle those plans?”
Dex shook his head. “I’d just as soon not alarm the girls. They’re here for some R&R. We’ll keep this quiet.”
“Angel?”
“We’ll read him in. It’s probably nothing, but…”
Justin grunted. “Yeah, at least where we’re headed there won’t be any sharks.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s why Lace chose the blue hole for her first official solo dive.” Dex smiled.
Justin raked a hand through his hair. “Don’t know why I thought this job would be a cakewalk after S
omalia.”
Dex clapped the side of his shoulder. “We wouldn’t be paid the big bucks if this was easy. So, what did you think of Susan?”
Instantly, Justin felt put on the spot, like Dex was asking so he could see his reaction to the mention of the ice queen’s name. Pretending a nonchalance he didn’t feel, he shrugged. “She’s pretty. Not much of a talker.”
Crossing his arms, Dex chuckled. “Could she get a word in edgewise?”
Justin wrinkled his nose. “Couldn’t risk her shutting me down or noticing we’d gotten ourselves a tail. She’s not the adventurous one, or so Maya says. Had to leave a little rubber around some turns, though.”
“Well, she’s safe here.” Dex glanced at his watch then looked back at the house. “I’ll have a chat with Halloran before dinner.”
Dinner that night was a little uncomfortable for Justin. Halloran and a couple of their SEAL buddies, Johnny Turtoro and Hank Jones, helped fill the large dining room table. Johnny and Justin flanked Susan, and Johnny seemed to take particular enjoyment out of sharing some of Justin’s less-than-flattering exploits as dessert was served.
“You do know I’m sitting right here,” Justin grumbled, leaning forward to give his buddy a glare.
Johnny’s dark eyes twinkled with glee. “Yeah, but I’m just getting to the good part.”
Susan leaned toward Justin. “Lace said you guys were the tall and handsome quiet types,” she said from the corner of her mouth, then gave Justin a wink.
Johnny flashed her a grin. “’Til you get to know us.”
She arched a brow. “I barely know you.”
Justin chuckled at her starchy tone, admiring how she held her own with the guys.
“You’re Lace’s friend,” Johnny said in his Bronx accent, “which means you’re practically family.”
Justin chuckled again then caught Lace’s pointed stare. He gave her a shrug.
She countered with a narrowing of her eyes.
Justin pasted on a smile and angled his body toward Susan. “Want to catch the sunset off the veranda?”
Susan’s gaze went from Johnny who was smiling widely back to Justin, and held.
He lowered his eyelids a bit, studying her expression as color bloomed in the center of her cheeks. “Must be tough being so fair,” he murmured.
Her lips parted, but she straightened her shoulders. “I’d like that,” she said, “the sunset, that is.”
Across the table, Halloran pushed back from the table. “Let’s all go. We’ll open the bar.”
Before Johnny could shoot from his seat, Justin rose and helped Susan from her chair, then edged in beside her to cut out his buddy who gave him a disappointed shake of his head. “Milady?” he said, bending his elbow.
Susan laughed, her head tilting back. The sound was surprising. Full-bodied. Sexy as hell.
He led her out the French doors to the teak-planked deck. White beach stretched to both sides just off the deck. The boat dock could be seen in the distance, slips filled with skiffs and yachts, the gargantuan Clementine at the very end, looking like a shiny white cruise boat.
At the rail, she dropped her hand from his arm and braced both hands against the wood, her gaze turning wistful as she stared at the sun setting on the sea. “Do you ever tire of it?”
“Never. I don’t like being landlocked. And I hate the cold.”
“So do I.”
He leaned an elbow on the rail and studied her face again. It was a perfect oval, her eyes large and crystal blue. With her fair skin and tall, slender frame, she looked like a Swedish girl he’d dated when he’d been stationed for a brief time in Italy years ago. Cool, iceberg beauty, except for her lips. Her lipstick was gone, and still, they were a soft cherry red. Soft and plump. His body tightened, imagining what they’d feel like pressed against his mouth and other parts he’d better not start thinking about, because he’d worn thin pants due to the heat, and an erection would be impossible to hide.
“So why stay in Chicago?” he asked, persevering through more small talk. “You have offices in Miami and here. Why not make the move?”
“We’ve been talking about that. Closing the office there. Putting more resources toward our online presence.” Susan tucked back a lock of blonde hair that fell over her eyes. “I could work from anywhere I have telephone and Internet access.”
That movement, her slender fingers sliding over the shell of her ear, struck him as intensely feminine, and he almost lost his train of thought. “Are you thinking about moving here?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s tempting.” She glanced around the wide veranda where the others lined up along the rails farther down, giving them a little privacy to chat. “Mr. Halloran has been very generous. The building he found us…” She shook her head. “A long-term lease, and for that cost, it’s unbelievable.”
“He was motivated to keep Lace here. He’s big on giving back to the island.” When she turned toward him, he couldn’t help dipping his gaze to take in her curves in the pretty sea-blue silk dress she wore. It hugged her breasts and waist then followed the slender curves of her hips.
“You do know they’re using you to sweeten the pot, right?” she said, arching a brow.
Surprised by her bluntness, he nodded. “They’re matchmaking. That make you nervous?”
“Since I’m immune to romance, I’m not the least bit scared.”
“Immune?” he said, a grin stretching his mouth.
“Uh huh.” Her chin tilted. “Don’t take that as a challenge, SEAL-boy. It’s just the plain truth.”
“So, you’ve had your vaccinations. No chance of romance catching.”
“None.” Her head shook.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he murmured, his interest piquing despite her bluntly worded warning.
Her gaze swung back to the beach and the sun which was burning red and dipping beneath the sea at the horizon. “Tell me about tomorrow. Lace says we’re doing some scuba-diving.”
“You have any experience?”
“Yes.” She shrugged and leaned her elbows on the rail. “Some. I like to dive whenever I get the chance. Which isn’t often.”
His body tightened as he imagined himself leaning over her to kiss her soft mouth—and his thoughts scrambled. Justin cleared his throat. What had they been talking about? “We’re heading to one of the blue holes on the reef. This one’s about two hundred fifty feet deep with lateral caves. I’ve scoped it out a time or two. Some of the caves are strictly for more experienced divers. There’s one small cave with stalactites that stretch ceiling to floor, and you have to remove your gear to maneuver around. It’s a maze of thin bars. But we’re not going there. It’s dark, so we’ll have headlamps…” He trailed off when her gaze locked with his. “Was I doing it again?”
“Talking a mile a minute?” Her lips curved. “I keep listening to see when you take a breath.”
Justin smiled ruefully. “Your turn?”
“I don’t have nearly as much to say as you do. Apparently.”
He groaned, exaggerating the sound, which got her chuckling. Relieved he’d made her laugh, he said, “Let me get you something to drink.”
Nodding, she gave him a cool smile. “I’d love a mojito.”
“Don’t move. We still have to discuss that little matter of the method of payment I’ll accept for driving you from the airport.” He gave her a waggle of his eyebrows, hoping he hadn’t pushed too hard, but her gaze remained steady and she leaned against the rail. He felt her gaze follow him all the way to the bar…
When he returned from the bar, she was gone. But so were her friends, so he didn’t feel as though he’d been abandoned. Not so much, anyway. He set the mojito on the rail and took a sip from his beer.
Johnny sidled up beside him and chuckled. “Haven’t seen you shot down so fast in a long time. Must be losing your grip.”
Justin gave him a deadpanned look and waved a hand at the chilled glass. “Want a mojito?”
“Am I interrupting anything?” Dex said from behind them, his tone wry.
“Not a damn thing,” Justin said. He cast a glance around the almost empty veranda. “Was it something I said?”
“Lace and Maya wanted Susan to themselves. For a gossip, no doubt. Why, did you try to talk her ear off again?”
Justin rolled his eyes. “You have a chance to talk to Halloran?”
Dex nodded. “He thinks this might have to do with current negotiations for that IT startup. He’s got competition from a Japanese conglomerate. They might be keeping tabs on him. If he moves, they’ll know he’s close to a deal and they’ll try to swoop in to take it out from under him with a last minute counteroffer.”
An IT deal didn’t sound too dangerous. “Do we have a plan?”
Dex grinned. “Yeah, but it’s not one you’re going to like. We’ll need a decoy.”
With a shake of his head, Justin sighed. “Why is it I’m the only one who gets to play billionaire?”
Johnny laughed. “Because you’re cute in pink,” he said, eyeing Halloran’s brightly colored Hawaiian shirt.
Justin winced. “How soon?”
“Tomorrow. We’ll spirit Halloran into the escort skiff after the dive.” Dex pointed at Justin. “You’ll stay on the boat when we dock. Make a couple of appearances on the deck dressed as Halloran.”
“I’ll be sure to keep Susie Q company, so she’s not lonely,” Johnny said, then stepped quickly back when Justin shot him a deadly glare. “Hey, just kidding man.”
Dex’s gaze narrowed on Justin. “Thought she wasn’t your type.”
SEALs of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle - Navy SEAL Style Page 2