As Mason undressed her, inch by inch, Regan gloried in the knowledge they would never be apart again. It didn’t matter how they’d come together. It was being together that counted, and they were experts at that.
Still, when she stepped out of her dress, Mason reached for her with a hunger that was all too evident in his eyes. She knew her bustier and garters excited him. Knew too he’d have them off her in no time. As the first strap snapped between his fingers she shut her eyes and laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She smiled at him, knowing the depth of her love for him must be obvious in her expression.
“This?” He snapped another strap, then ripped the two sides of the bustier apart. “No matter what you wear you can’t hide from me,” he mock-growled.
“I guess not.” She allowed him to lay her back on the bed, sighed as he peeled the garment off of her. “But you haven’t even let me give you your wedding present yet.”
“I thought you were my wedding present.”
“No. This is.” She reached into the bag she’d placed near the bed for just this moment and pulled out a plastic test wand. “We’re pregnant.”
Mason stilled beside her. “Are you sure?”
“Here’s the proof.” She waved it at him.
He took it from her. Read the result. Tossed it over his shoulder and scooped her into his arms. “That’s the best gift you could ever give me.”
“Because it means you get to keep the ranch?”
He cupped her face between his hands. “Because it means you love me enough to share something so precious with me.” He kissed her soundly. “You won’t regret this, you know. Being my wife. Letting me love you for the rest of your life.”
No, she knew she wouldn’t regret it. Naked in Mason’s bed, filled by him, loved by him.
That’s where she belonged.
The End
The Heroes of Chance Creek series continues with The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride.
Visit Cora Seton’s website and sign up for her Newsletter here. Find her on Facebook here.
Other titles by Cora Seton:
The Heroes of Chance Creek:
The Soldier’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 2)
The Marine’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 3)
The Airman’s E-Mail Order Bride (Volume 4)
The Cowboys of Chance Creek:
The Cowboy’s E-mail Order Bride (Volume 1)
The Cowboy Wins a Bride (Volume 2)
The Cowboy Imports a Bride (Volume 3)
The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire (Volume 4)
The Sheriff Catches a Bride (Volume 5)
The Cowboy Lassos a Bride (Volume 6)
The Cowboy Rescues a Bride (Volume 7)
The Cowboy Earns a Bride (Volume 8)
Fall Out
a Camo Cay novella
Zoe York
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Author’s Note
Welcome to Camo Cay! Fall Out is the first story in this new series, and I’m excited for you to discover the hidden tales this Caribbean island is harboring. First up is a novella, the story of Drew Castle and Annie Martin. Like the men and women in my sexy small town contemporary Wardham series, Drew and Annie are a modern hero and heroine who need us to believe in second chances for them, and I hope their journey to finding each other is one that you can identify with. If you enjoy this story, please join my mailing list to be the first to hear about the next book in the Camo Cay series.
~ Zoe
Chapter One
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Training at dawn was easier on the east coast. The slap of sand under his feet, the salt in the air, men all around him…that was the same. But Drew missed the sunrise. Eventually it would make an appearance, climbing over San Diego, lazily providing absolutely no inspiration to drive hard at the end of the run.
He missed Virginia. Early to bed, early to rise. That was the east coast way. But after completing his time at the Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, he’d been given the choice, and for reasons he still couldn’t understand, he’d chosen the west coast.
It wasn’t that he hated California. Drew was far too disciplined to spend that kind of energy on what was just a place. Places held no meaning. It was what you did there. Who you saved. Sometimes, who you killed.
Maybe he was getting too old for this shit. All around him, young hotheads made it look easy. Novak and Dumbrowski, third-generation Americans who still got saddled with the Polish jokes, were at the front of the pack. He saw a lot of himself in Novak. A lot of Kevin in Dumbrowski. Coming out here didn’t get him away from any ghosts. If anything, breathing in the Pacific Ocean every morning kept a part of his best friend alive inside him.
Kevin. Losing a team member was an understood risk of the job, and over the years, everyone had experienced it. But he hadn’t been the same since he dragged Kevin onto that helo thirteen months ago, knowing that it was too late to save anything other than his body. They’d been more than team members. They survived BUD/S together. Brothers from another mother, they used to joke, even though it hit a little close to the truth. Kevin had been the closest thing to a family Drew had.
Sixteen years. That motherfucker stayed alive through firefights, infiltrations, recon missions and more than one long weekend in Miami. And got shot in the back when they thought they were done the job. Fucking fate.
Drew didn’t have PTSD. He’d passed his psych eval with flying colors, and he’d been pretty honest with the docs. Not completely honest. There were some dark corners of every SEAL’s mind that one learned never to share. But compared to some of the bullshitting that happened in that chair…he was mentally fit for the job. But did he still have the necessary drive?
He just didn’t care about anything. And if it was anyone else, he’d counsel them to think about walking away. Because without that fiery urge to conquer, he wasn’t useful to the team.
That was a terrifying thought.
Not just for himself, although he really had no idea what he’d do if he retired early. But also for the mission. Missions. They were at war, quietly and unendingly, and leaving that fight to others just didn’t seem right, especially when he was still physically able.
In front of him, Novak kicked it into high gear. The pull-up bars, their informal finish line, were in sight and Drew shook off his thoughts. He’d missed the moment when he could have left the younger guys in his dust, but he was going to stay with them. At least for today.
“Hoo-ya.” One by one, they pushed hard to the end. Dumbrowski launched himself into the air and held himself from the horizontal rail for a moment, then lowered his body in a controlled fashion.
“Show off,” Drew muttered.
“Shut up, Castle, you can kick my ass if you want to.”
“Fucking right, and don’t you forget it.”
“We’re hitting a club tonight, you wanna come with?”
He could. He probably should, he didn’t socialize enough with his men. But he wouldn’t. “Nah, but thanks. Maybe another time.”
Fun was something he’d also left behind in Virginia. Kevin had always raved about the girls out here, and Drew couldn’t deny there was something about the sun-washed hair and bikini-ready bodies that revved a guy up. He’d even enjoyed a bit of casual revving with a bartender he’d met while being surly. But he’d just bring the party down, and his guys didn’t need that.
They hit the showers and changed into uniform. Just another day at work, with meetings and managing officers. What Drew wouldn’t do for a deployment right about now. Nothing like a well-planned attack to take your mind off meaningless shit like feelings.
By the end of the day, he was ready for an omelet, a video game and bed. He stopped at the grocery store—he was constantly running out of eggs. In Virginia, he’d lived with two other guys. Apparently, the only thing he missed about having roommates was their quiet support of his omelet addiction. On the other hand,
no one groused if he played Metal Gear Solid for three hours straight, which was a win in his books.
He let himself into his apartment building and set his bag of groceries down on the floor so he could check the mail. His phone chirped in his pocket—Dana, the bartender, wanted to know if he’d be up for a late night visit when she finished work. His dick twitched yes, so he responded affirmatively, and jogged up the stairs.
Grub, game, girl.
It was what passed as a rollicking good time in Castleland lately, and he wasn’t too twisted not to appreciate that he still had it pretty good. If Kevin were alive, he’d kick Drew’s ass for not living every day to the fullest.
I’m trying, asshole.
Try harder, dickhead.
In the shower, he leisurely stroked his cock, looking forward to the midnight booty call. Dana liked guys in uniform. She was a part-time student, with plans to move to Europe the following year. Zero questions about commitment, and a wicked mouth. Given that he had absolutely no emotional ability to be a boyfriend right now, their occasional arrangement was perfect.
You should go to Europe with her.
It really annoyed him that Kevin talked to him.
I’m not really talking to you. It’s your misplaced guilt or something.
“Tell me something I don’t know, asshole.” He pulled on a pair of workout shorts, turned on the TV for some background noise, and made quick work of a mushroom and cheese omelet.
When a knock sounded at the door two hours later Drew winced at the timing, and hit pause on his game. Maybe she’d cuddle up with him while he finished the level.
Okay, maybe she’s not the girl to throw your career away over. Definitely not if he wasn’t sure who he wanted more, Dana or the big boss.
But it wasn’t the pretty bartender on his doorstep. A beautiful brunette stood in her place, a woman with whom he shared a special and tragic connection. All other thoughts fled his mind as he tried to process why she was in front of him. “Andrea?”
Kevin’s younger sister stared back at him as he stood there, blinking, and he realized he was being rude. “Come in. How did you…”
“Some guy held the door for me.” She followed him into the apartment, her arms twisted together in front of her body. “I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. I took a chance that you were around.”
He took in her jeans and blazer, her polished boots and careful jewelry. She hadn’t made the drive south from L.A. for a casual visit. He grabbed a hoodie he’d left on a barstool at the kitchen counter and tossed it on, all of a sudden feeling underdressed for whatever conversation they were about to have. “It’s no trouble, I’m glad you caught me. What’s going on?”
She let out a nervous laugh. “You’re going to think I’m nuts.”
He shook his head. “Promise I won’t.”
She pulled out her phone, pressed a few buttons, and passed it over, her hand shaking. “Press the star button to listen to this message.”
Kevin’s voice filled his ear, for real this time. “Andrea, it’s me. It’s really me, and I need your help. It’s about—” his voice broke up in a rough electronic crackle, then warbled back to life “—so I’ve set up a private email address we can use to communicate back and forth. The password is our first pet’s name. You’ll remember that, won’t you? I miss you so much.”
Drew fisted the phone tightly in his hand, the urge to pitch it against the wall almost overwhelming. He took a deep breath and turned his back to Andrea for a moment.
Her voice was watery and small as she spoke behind him. “It’s not him.”
His shoulders sagged with relief that he wouldn’t have to explain that to her. He turned around. He didn’t know her very well. They’d only met a handful of times. Easter one year, when she was still a teenager. Her parents’ funeral, an overnight stay with Kevin a year later on their way to Hawaii, and then again at Kevin’s funeral. But his best friend had talked about her enough that he had a picture of who she was. Smart, analytical, but also a dreamer. A romantic and an optimist, with a tidy, uncomplicated life.
Drew’s total opposite. He was glad he didn’t need to drag her into the dark recesses of his mind where he could too easily imagine where that kind of twisted message came from, but he hated that she figured it out on her own. Clever girl.
But right now, standing in front of him, she just looked scared, and he was reminded that her uncomplicated world was built on a foundation of loss. And now her cage had been rattled. Fuckers. He wanted to make that go away for her, protect whatever was left of her innocence. “No, it’s not. Andrea…”
“It’s Annie,” she whispered. “No one in my family called me Andrea. Ever.”
The cruelty of that mistake in the faked message twisted his gut. “I’m sorry you had to hear his voice like that, in a sick joke.”
“Is it just a joke?” She cleared her throat. “I have some money. Life insurance from my parents, Kevin. The house.”
“Whoever did this didn’t ask for money.”
She furrowed her brow, her eyes still wide and scared. “Don’t you think that’s the next step? A fake ransom demand?”
Yeah, probably. “Have you called the police?”
“No, I heard the message, got in my car and drove here. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t home. Maybe gone to the base? I’m terrified to make a wrong move here.” She looked at the phone in his hand. “That didn’t feel like a joke. Or a fake kidnapping, to be honest. It felt like a threat, but I can’t imagine to what end.”
His first instinct was to call his CO, his commanding officer, and take Annie into work, hand the phone over to the Intel guys and let them figure this out while she had a nap behind the secure gates of a United States naval base. But there was something in her expression, a slight tremor in her pinched brow that gave him pause. “Annie, are you telling me everything?”
She swallowed hard and nodded.
“Because you came here for a reason.”
Her big blue eyes searched his face, and he willed her to see whatever she was looking for. After a minute, she dropped her gaze to the floor and sighed. “Kevin always told me that if anything happened to him, I could trust you.”
“You can trust me. Kevin trusted me, and I’ll do everything in my power to honor his memory and protect his family. But I need to know everything that you know.” He ducked his head, grabbing her attention. “No secrets.”
A flutter at the base of her neck gave her away, and she groaned. “I don’t know how anyone could know this, because I’m guessing you don’t, and I wasn’t supposed to, but Kevin…has a child. A secret son, being raised by his mother. And her husband.”
Drew reared back on his heels, like she’d just tossed ice water in his face. No way. Dude, what the fuck? But Kevin didn’t answer, because this time, Drew couldn’t fill in what his best friend would say.
“It was a short affair, while he was in Washington ten years ago. Nobody should know. The husband doesn’t know. I was a teenager when it happened…” Annie kept talking, and Drew sorted through what she was saying, but most of his mind was trapped in a flashback to ten years earlier. Kevin had come back from the capital decidedly cagey about his recreational activities. Uncharacteristically so. All he’d said was that he’d gotten involved with someone he shouldn’t have.
“Do you know the couple’s identity?” Drew’s mind was whirling a mile a minute, sorting out the possible outcomes. He didn’t like the threat assessments he was coming up with. “Is there anyone else who might, a cousin or something?”
She shook her head. Annie and Kevin’s parents had been killed in a car accident a few years earlier. Drew had been at their funeral. Well attended, but little in the way of extended family.
“And you didn’t tell anyone else about this call?”
“No.”
He’d seen a lot of awful shit over the years, and while this barely scraped the surface of gross human behavior, he couldn’t i
magine Annie would share his jaded outlook. Or appreciate it. “Okay. There’s not much we can do before the morning, given that it might just be a prank.”
She nodded and took a deep breath. “And then we’ll call the police?”
“Probably start with the Navy, since that’s what I know. They might punt it to the civilian investigators. I don’t know.” He splayed his hands wide, unsure of what to say next. “Hell, Annie, I’m sorry this happened to you.”
“It’s okay.” She let out a watery laugh. “Probably this time tomorrow I’ll be back at work and some teenager with aspirations of being a hacker will be having an uncomfortable conversation with the LAPD.”
He stepped closer and touched his knuckle to her chin, lifting her face so she could see the confirmation in his own that she’d done the right thing. “This might be just that. But if it’s not, then I’m glad you reached out to me.”
“Kevin always said…” She bit her lip, her teeth pressing into the plump skin to hold back the rest of the sentiment. A crease formed between her eyes, and he wanted to reach up and rub it smooth, ease that ache.
He wasn’t the only one struggling with loss. He felt like an ass for not acknowledging that sooner. “He was right. It’s good that you came.”
She tilted her head to the side with a wry smile, and he cupped her cheek in his palm for a moment before reluctantly letting go. “Well. Then, I’ll just go find a hotel, and first thing in the morning—”
“No.” He surprised them both by interjecting. “Stay here.”
“I couldn’t impose, really.”
SEALs of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle - Navy SEAL Style Page 50