Annie couldn’t help the gasp that slipped out. The overheard conversation between Kevin and the mysterious woman at the other end of the line now made sense.
“Something you need to understand, Ms. Martin, is that I love my wife very much. I always have, and I always will. But there was a period of time when we were new in Washington that I didn’t give her as much attention as I should. I was too focused on laying the foundation for a leadership run or some such nonsense, and I neglected our relationship. It was in that time period that she befriended your brother.” A wistful look crossed the senator’s face. “When she realized she was pregnant, she knew there was only one possible father. I spent a week in the ICU following an untreated strep infection in college that made it impossible for me to have children of my own.”
She could fill in the rest. “And Kevin’s job didn’t allow him to take on shared custody of a child.”
Harris leaned forward, his face filling the screen. “We would have, if he wanted. He did visit, in the role of a family friend, once or twice a year. Beth-Anne sent him pictures from time to time, and email updates.”
“They stayed in touch?”
He nodded. “Not regularly, but from time to time. We don’t have any secrets between us. A lot of sad history, maybe, but no secrets. I was the first person she told when she took the test. First she told me, then she told him. And she would have shared custody with him, but she wouldn’t leave me. I didn’t deserve that loyalty, but she gave it to me anyway, and I’ve never let her down since. My wife and my son…they are my world. Your brother gave me that, as hard as that may be to imagine.”
Drew couldn’t watch from the shadows any longer, not when Annie’s shoulders started to shake almost imperceptibly. He was at her side as the first tear fell, careful to keep his back to the camera. Trent cut their video feed momentarily, and Drew gave her a quick squeeze.
“You okay?” he whispered.
She nodded and he brushed a quick kiss against her lips. He glanced at Rik and jerked his chin. He didn’t have anything to hide.
As the pixels re-formed their moving image, Harris didn’t show any surprise to see Drew. Either he hadn’t made a briefing book, or Harris wasn’t interested in a SEAL’s presence. Both possibilities were reassuring.
Harris chewed on his bottom lip for a minute then leaned back in his chair. “Annie, part of why this came up is probably because I’ve been approached by different people to consider running for higher office. Beth-Anne and I have talked about it. I won’t deny I’ve been swayed, but I’m not interested if it risks my family. And I know we haven’t met, but I include you in that. If you’re still planning to come here for that research trip, I hope you’ll come to dinner.”
“Dinner?” Her eyes were big and suspiciously wet still.
“We think it’s time you meet your nephew, don’t you?”
She swallowed hard. “Does he…”
“Know? No. But he knew Kevin as a friend of the family, and we’d introduce you as his sister.” Harris tightened his lips for a moment, and Drew couldn’t read his expression. “We’ve visited his grave in Arlington. When he’s older, we’ll tell him. I hope that’s enough for you.”
A sob wracked through her body, and Annie twisted toward him, burying her face in his chest. Drew cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the senator and the other men in the room. “That sounds like it would be enough for Kevin.”
Annie nodded into his shirt, and he pulled her tighter. A sharp realization sliced through his gut as he processed that with anyone else, he’d have made the same decision as Kevin. Walk away, watch from afar. But if Annie were carrying his child? He’d slay dragons to be at her side.
Unaware that Drew’s entire sense of being had been permanently altered, Rik stepped into the center of the shot.
The senator nodded. “Amundson.”
“Harris.”
Drew wasn’t surprised there was a history there. Rik had always been more than an average special operator.
“There are people who aren’t going to like your meddling in this.”
Rik shrugged. “Can’t be helped.”
“There was supposed to be egg on my face here. I’m glad there isn’t, but that’s probably disrupted someone’s plan for something else.”
Drew tightened his grip on Annie, not wanting to let her go. Not liking the tone of their veiled back and forth statements. “I thought you said last night this was about a paparazzi thing.”
Trent spoke from the corner, the burr in his voice more pronounced than usual. “That’s definitely who was interested in Annie, and now that there’s no story there, she’s probably not a person of interest to anyone. But there’s a money trail, and it runs dark in a way that tells us it didn’t originate in a good place.”
Drew knew some of the options there. Could imagine the others, and didn’t like any of the thoughts running through his head. “And what about Harris? And his son?”
On the screen, the senator shrugged. “This is probably bigger than me as well. I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of each other, though.”
“All due respect, sir, but I’ve got retirement plans in my future. The next time you see me it had better be at a family picnic.”
Annie’s lips quirked and he glanced down at her. “What? I like picnics.”
“Yeah? Me too.” She grinned. “I’m just shocked you used the word family without shuddering.”
Epilogue
~ 9 months later ~
‡
Her man was coming home. His flight had left Dubai fifteen hours and forty-seven minutes ago, and now she paced in the arrivals hall at LAX willing herself to play it cool when he walked through the gate. Not to cry. Jeez, no crying. He’d survived a six month deployment, and while she knew he couldn’t tell her much—anything—about it, he was all in one piece. When they Skyped the night before, he’d even seemed relaxed and happy.
Really happy. And horny. That had to be a good sign.
Her arms ached to hold him and her heart felt like it might just thump out of her chest. It had only been fifteen seconds since the last time she checked the arrivals board, but she glanced up again anyway, and let out a too-loud whoop when she realized the status had changed from Expected to Arrived. Hot damn. Somewhere on the other side of the sliding doors, Drew Castle was back on American soil.
She wanted to announce to the crowd around her that a hero was about to walk amongst them, but rule number one of dating a SEAL…no glorification of the job. And keeping this reunion private was part of why Drew flew into LAX a few days before the rest of his men came home. Even though she was happy to socialize with the other girlfriends and family members in San Diego, Drew resisted mixing their lives together more than was strictly necessary.
He cited security reasons, but Annie knew better. As much as she loved him, Drew was still an overgrown man-child in many ways, and commitment sat front and centre on that list. It was okay. She likely had two more years of research before she finished her doctoral thesis, and she’d give him that long to sort out what he wanted.
No, that wasn’t fair. He definitely wanted her. A shiver wracked her body at the heated words he’d whispered across their computer connection the night before. He wanted her mind, body and soul, and she didn’t need to worry about the details. When the time was right, they’d take their relationship to the next level.
She smoothed her hands over the flat front of her cherry-red dress, then tucked her small handbag securely under one arm. How much time would it take him to move through customs and security? He didn’t need to wait for any luggage, he just had a carry-on bag as most of his gear was being shipped directly to Coronado. The opaque glass doors on the other side of the barricade slid open as other international travellers passed through, and she craned her neck for a glimpse of her tall mountain of a man.
Five minutes, then ten, passed by, and the few butterflies in her stomach filled the void by procreatin
g and turning into a full on swarm.
Then the doors slid open once more, and Drew was ten feet on the other side. He flashed a wide grin as they made eye contact, but before he got close enough to the sensor, the doors closed, and she leaned hard against the yellow metal barrier. One…two…three. And then with a whoosh the glass parted again and he was in front of her and then around her, his strong arms hauling her against his body, the metal bars between them fading away.
“You’re home,” she breathed into his neck. “Oh my god, I’ve missed you so much.”
He pulled back just enough to press a hard kiss against her lips, then shifted her out of the way so he could leap over the barricade.
“You could have gone around,” she whispered, pressing her entire body against his.
“And let go of you? Not a chance in hell, sugar.” He slid his hand behind her neck and covered her mouth with hot demands and hungry promises. As his tongue worked its magic, his hands familiarized themselves with her body, and Annie wanted more.
“Come on, let me take you home.” She tugged him toward the exit, wanting to get someplace private so they wouldn’t need to hold back.
“Wait,” he said, reaching for his bag. “I got you something.”
She spun around, nerves and relief both making her antsy. Her skirt flared a bit, the fabric dancing against her fingertips, and it occurred to her that was an odd thing to notice. Also odd was how her pulse picked up and how loud all of a sudden her breathing sounded to her own ears.
Drew stared at her for a moment, a secret smile on his face, and the realization of what was about to happen fully dawned just as he dropped to one knee.
Don’t pass out, her brother’s voice rang through her head, and the tears started to fall in big, wet, embarrassing plops. He doesn’t deserve you, but he’ll love you forever.
“Annie Martin, you are the light of my life. I didn’t know what love was before I met you, and—” he broke off and swallowed hard.
“You can cry, all the cool kids do.” She laughed and wiped her own face, then touched his.
“Hell no. Okay, I can do this.” He cleared his throat. “I love you, sugar. There are fancier words to describe what we have, but I want us to be together forever. I want to be yours forever, and you be mine.”
“I’m yours,” she whispered, willing her knees to not give out before he finished.
“And I’m yours. Forever, sugar. Will you marry me?” He held up a platinum band, split in the middle around a channel-set diamond solitaire, and she wasn’t sure she could take it from him without dropping it because her hands were shaking too much. She nodded enthusiastically and threw herself against him instead, and somehow in between standing up and kissing her again, Drew managed to slide the ring on her finger.
“It’s a perfect fit,” Annie exclaimed a few minutes later as they stopped at a red light. She wiggled her fingers in the sunlight. “I never thought I’d be that girl, but holy crap, look at my ring.”
Drew grinned. Hitting a jewelry store was his first and only priority when he landed in Dubai. The unique setting had grabbed his attention and he’d paid for it on the spot.
“How did you know my size?”
“I measured you one night while you were sleeping,” he admitted.
She twisted in her seat. “Before you left?” Her lips parted for a second before she took a deep breath. “I had no idea…”
He squeezed her knee. He was thankful her sedan was an automatic and he didn’t have to break contact with her. The red flouncy fabric of her skirt sat on top of his hand and in its shadow he stroked bare, smooth skin. “I’ve been serious about you—about us—since that first weekend, sugar.”
“Me too.” She bit her lip, and he knew she wanted to ask about future deployments, her schooling, what this meant for their future and where they might live, but there would be time for all of that later. She pushed a bright look onto her face. “Are you hungry?”
Only for her. “I just want to get you home and into bed, sugar.”
She smiled, all the way to her eyes this time. “Yeah. Me too.”
A few hours later, Drew pulled on black gym shorts from the drawer he’d established months earlier and padded to the apartment door to pay the Chinese food delivery guy. Humming, he dumped the cartons of food on the kitchen table and pulled out plates and chopsticks. From the bathroom, he heard the shower turn off, and a minute later Annie was in the doorway watching him. She wore one of his t-shirts and her damp hair hung loose around her shoulders.
“Come here,” he instructed.
“I like to watch you.”
“And I like to touch you. Come. Here.” He wasn’t kidding. Feeling the warmth of her skin under his hand soothed him in a way he’d never appreciated before.
She smiled but did as requested, sliding between him and the kitchen counter. He caged her in with his arms and pressed his forehead against hers.
“It’s different than I expected,” he whispered. “Leaving someone behind.”
She stroked his cheek. “How so?”
“I worried I’d feel conflicted. Want to play it safe, that sort of thing.” He squeezed her hip. “But knowing you were here…that just motivated me that much harder.”
Her eyes flared wide and he knew he’d surprised her. She cupped his neck and pulled his lips against hers, sliding her tongue against the seam of his mouth. He opened readily for her, and within seconds was ready in another way.
“Are you sore?” He growled the question against her jaw as he worked his way down to lick the spot on her neck that drove her crazy.
“A little.” Her creamy skin turned pink at the admission.
“I’ll be gentle.” He lifted her onto the counter with ease, relishing the feel of her slim hips in his hands. Her bare hips, he discovered as he parted her thighs and dropped to his knees.
“Not too gentle.” She moaned as he licked his way to her core. He wanted to greedily feast on her, but he’d already done that earlier. This time he took care to tease and caress, stoking her desire until she was slippery and just as ready as he was to join together.
Together. It was the perfect word for them. Despite their separate lives and sad history, they were building toward a solid future. It was a freakin’ miracle that Drew Castle had been given such beauty, and he was going to appreciate it—and her—for the rest of his life.
He surged to his feet and nudged his cock into her wet folds. His eyes rolled back in his head at the warm welcome. Jesus. He’d never get enough of her. With gentle pressure he slid into her, groaning as his hips pressed into the backs of her thighs. Her legs wrapped tight around his waist, her heels dug into his back, and against his chest her breaths came hard and fast in moist little puffs that drove him crazy.
“Give me your mouth, sugar.” He shouldn’t act like a caveman but he couldn’t help himself. Being inside Annie reduced him to grunting need. God, he was glad Kevin wasn’t in his head anymore.
“I’m so close,” she whispered, and the urge to thump his chest swelled again. He starting moving, rocketing them both toward the release they craved. She tipped over the edge first, and the soft, rhythmic clenching of her pussy did him in as well. She sagged against him, pressing hot little kisses against his arm, and then started laughing.
“Hey, that’s not good for the ego.” He grinned down at her.
“I was just thinking I’m going to need another shower now.”
“I’ve got a better idea.” He pulled out and pressed her legs together. “Be right back.”
Two warm washcloths later, they were snuggled on the couch trading bites of orange chicken and black bean shrimp.
“Is it too soon to start planning a wedding?”
Annie looked at him with surprise. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never done this before.” He took advantage of her being distracted and stole her spring roll. “I was thinking the fall.” He took a bite, enjoyi
ng the curious reaction playing out on Annie’s face. “After I retire.”
In hindsight, telling her while she had a plate of messy food in her hands was a mistake. Fried rice hopped into the air as she jerked in surprise. “Are you serious?”
A slow grin took over his entire face. “As a heart attack, sugar.”
She bounced up and down and squealed. “I thought you’d have a few more years in still.”
He shrugged. “Priorities change. Technically I won’t retire for another two years, I’ll be a reservist. But my life is with you now, wherever you are. I’m committed until the end of the summer, but I’ve started the process to switch at that point. And then I’ll find security work here in L.A. until you’re ready to go…wherever you want to go next.”
Her eyes lit up. “Then yes, we should start planning a wedding. How does the Caribbean sound?”
“Perfect. I just happen to know a guy…”
The End
More from Zoe York
If you enjoyed Fall Out, join my mailing list and my Facebook Reader Group to be the first to read the next book in the Camo Cay series, Fall In, coming this fall.
Rik Amundson has big retirement plans. A Caribbean island, his beautiful wife, the occasional security gig, and a lot of rum in the sun.
But someone isn’t ready to let him fade away from military life quite so quietly. And they’re willing to take away that which is most precious to him to ensure he plays the game.
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Books by Zoe York
The Wardham Series
Between Then and Now
What Once Was Perfect
SEALs of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle - Navy SEAL Style Page 58