Hell, no. She was trying to be responsible and brave. She didn’t need to be.
Mack leaned closer and said into the cell, “Your boss can handle that. You’re injured and need your rest.”
She blinked at him. “You’re right. It is Duncan’s responsibility. Go home and get some rest, Kat. When will I be in the office?” She cocked her head. When her eyes met Mack’s, he saw a boat-load of promise, questions, and wonder. He also saw heat, lots of sexy heat. “Not sure. I’ll have to let you know. Bye.”
Mack couldn’t stop staring at her lips. “Kat’s okay?”
“A little shook up. When she didn’t hear from me, she expected the worst. She watched all the explosions on the satellite feeds and told Fitz I had to be dead.”
Jenna shivered.
She must have had a flash of how close she had come to it being true. It shook her up. Guys who came off the battlefield always believed they were strong enough to cope with the strange disconnect of fighting bloody war one moment and stepping back into real life the next. It was like being sucked into the Twilight Zone. Everyone needed time to adjust. Everyone. Even tough Navy SEALs. He’d help Jenna get through it.
“Maybe she’s after your window office,” he joked.
She grimaced. “After this trip, I’m starting to think she can have it.”
“Trip, huh? Is that what you kids call it these days?”
“I still can’t believe…well, any of it.” She opened her MRE and started eating the peanut butter and cracker first.
“Um, you’ve got a little something right there.” He took a towelette out of his pouch and cleaned her cheek with it.
“Peanut butter?” She licked her lips.
“Nope. Camouflage paint and dirt.” Not to mention blood, scrapes, and bruises. He wanted to kill that honcho all over again for hurting his girl. Gently, he swiped her other cheek and ran the towelette over her nose. It came back completely green. “Looks like we’re going to need a bigger towel.”
She closed her eyes and let him clean her face. A soft sound came from her throat as if she was in heaven. As if he was giving her a naked full-body massage. Oh, he was going to give her one of those too as soon as they were alone. His body responded to the idea, and he wished for alone time right now. He wanted to love his girl and never stop.
When he was done cleaning her skin, her brown eyes sparkled like in days of old.
“There she is.” He grinned. His beautiful, sexy admiral’s daughter was right there before him. He itched to reach out and pull her onto his lap.
“Lieutenant Commander?” A voice interrupted his good thoughts and pulled him back to the present where he was surrounded by a family and his buddies. He wasn’t alone with the woman he loved.
“Lieutenant Commander?” Andrew repeated. His voice was strained as if it took all of his energy to speak. Clearly, the man was exhausted. Had the guerillas tortured him after they shot him?
“Yes, sir?”
“I know we got off on the wrong foot. It was mostly my fault,” Andrew said.
Mack raised an eyebrow. Mostly?
“I wanted to thank you and your men for saving us.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what we do. But none of this would have happened without Jenna Collins.”
Andrew nodded. “Agreed. I’ll tell Duncan Fitz how grateful I am for her help.”
“Pardon my candor, but you can sure as hell do better than that,” Mack said. “If you had listened to Jenna in the first place, she wouldn’t have had to hire a group of SEALs to save your sorry ass.”
“Mack!” Jenna said.
Mack put his finger to her lips. “Shh, babe. I’ve got this.”
“He’s right,” Andrew said.
“Yes, he is,” Marcella pitched in. “We owe Jenna more than a good word with her boss. She saved our lives and risked her own, sweetheart. Surely, there is something more we can do.”
“What would you suggest, darling?” Andrew directed at his wife.
“I’m no darling, but I would like to suggest that the Fitz dude give Jenna a raise. A big whopping jump in pay grade. She deserves it.”
Andrew’s lips hitched. “Fitz owes me. I’m sure a jump, maybe even two jumps in pay grade can be arranged.”
“Wow that would be wonderful. I think Kat deserves something too. She helped us on the outside and worked with Senator Tonell—” Jenna began, but Mack wasn’t finished.
“And Jenna needs time off. A month, no two months, of paid leave for R&R in San Diego.”
Jenna leaned into his shoulder. “San Diego?”
“Yes, babe. Coronado to be exact. I still have the condo there.”
“You want me to stay with you?” Jenna’s voice was so soft he barely heard her.
He tipped her chin up and gazed into her eyes. “Forever. If that’s what you want.”
She blinked the tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Mack.”
Oh, Mack? What did that mean? One thing he did know was that she didn’t say yes. The absence of that one little word tore a chunk out of his heart.
He released her. “We can talk about it later.” Was he letting her off the hook or protecting himself from an internal beating? Probably both.
“Is there anything else?” Andrew asked.
“What do you think?” he whispered in Jenna’s ear. “Do we stop there?”
“That sounds pretty good to me.” She thought for a second. “One more thing. EXtreme Adventures should provide two free trips for Charlie and Willy Handly to take their mother to the vacation spots of their choosing. I’m pretty sure Duncan Fitz will authorize it, but just in case we might need a little Harmond clout. Thank you, Andrew.”
He closed his eyes. “You’re welcome, Jenna. I’m going to close my eyes now, okay?”
“Yeah, you rest. Maybe you all want to take it easy. You’ve gotten more adventure than you bargained for.” Mack took the empty MRE pouch from Andrew’s hand. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do to make your ride more enjoyable.”
Jacob raised his hand as if he was in school. “Can I go up front and watch the pilot?”
“Sure. There’s a seat up there for you. If you ask real nicely, Ty might even let you steer.”
“Suhweet!” Jacob jumped up and raced to the cockpit.
“He’s not tired at all, is he?” Mack asked.
“No, but Lord, I am exhausted.” Jenna yawned.
“All that adrenaline rush finally caught up with you. Come on, babe. Put your head on my shoulder.”
She smiled and let her gaze travel the length of him. “The last time I had adrenaline issues was on the jet. Gosh, it feels like months ago. You worked real hard to calm me down.”
Mack knew exactly what she was thinking. “I did. But I can’t exactly do that here. We’ve got kids, for heaven’s sake.” He kissed her nose.
“I can wait until later as long as you let me look at you, touch you, and for all that is holy, kiss you.” She reached up, grabbed his neck, and said against his lips, “All in a hot way.”
Shit, he wasn’t sure he could wait after that little tease. “You are one, wicked, wicked woman.”
“But you love me.”
“Babe, I always have.”
He kissed her like he meant it. Hell, he kissed her like he meant it forever. If it were up to him, he’d kiss her with toe-curling passion every minute of every day for the rest of their lives. But he understood it was up to her to decide what she wanted. It always was.
Jenna sighed and leaned against his chest.
Gently, he moved so that her head could rest in his lap. He lifted her hair and let it run through his fingers. In her sleep, she snaked her arm around his waist. He smiled and closed his eyes. Sleeping would be easy now that Jenna was safe and wrapped around him. Tomorrow would still be tomorrow. They’d work things out then. He gave in to the exhaustion that had been dogging him since he left San Diego.
Chapter Twenty
‡
> As Jenna rested with her head in Mack’s lap, she worried about what would come next. Mack loved her. But was it enough? Would he choose the Navy over her again like he did before? Would she be able to live with that choice?
Eighteeen months earlier, they’d been stretched out across her sheets cooling down after making deliciously hot love. She had been on her belly melting into total bliss while the man of her dreams gently scratched her back.
“Babe, I wish you could see yourself in this light. You’re so damned beautiful.” His deep voice was reverent. He ran his finger down her spine, sending prickles across her skin.
She looked over her shoulder at him. “You’re just saying that because I rocked your world.”
He grinned. “That you did. Give me a couple of minutes, and we’ll do it again.”
“Mmmm. Sounds like a plan. A little lower, please.”
Scratching her lower back, he continued south, slowly raking over her ass.
“Oh, I didn’t mean…mmm, never mind. Seems like you’ve got this well in hand.”
On cue, he brought his hand underneath her, cupping her sex. “Like this?”
Every nerve-ending she owned lit up like an electric parade. The man knew exactly what he was doing. She lifted her hips to give him better access. “Oh, yeah.”
“We can stay in bed…” Leaning over her, he nibbled on the back of her neck, sending delicious shivers across her skin. That hand of his moved slowly back and forth, making her wet and aching with need. “…all day. Tomorrow too.”
It sounded like heaven. She began making plans to call in sick the next day when Mack’s cell rang.
“Shit.” His hand stopped moving.
“Let it go on the recording?” she begged.
It rang again.
“Sorry, babe. I’m on call.” He pulled his hand free and scrambled to answer the phone. “Riley here. Hey, Charlie, this had better be good.”
Chill bumps rose on her skin.
“When? How many?” The softness drained like warm sand from his face and cold, hard steel seeped into the crevices. “Not Daniels. Are you sure? Dammit to hell! Are you sure they said Daniels?”
His feet hit the floor, and he planted his elbows on his knees. He didn’t feel the small circles she rubbed on his back, but she kept on, hoping he knew she was there for him.
He listened for a long hard minute, his muscles bunching as if bracing himself against the news. She wanted to throw the phone against the wall, drag him into her arms, and shield him from this pain.
“Those bastards! Daniels had a newborn baby. He was going to be out of the Navy in three months.” His head rested in his hand as if it was suddenly too heavy. “Shit, yes, I want to go! Tell the CO I’m in. No way am I going to sit this one out. I’ll see you at the funeral. Thanks, Charlie. Sorry, buddy.”
The man who hung up the phone was not the same man who’d been scratching her back and pleasing her in all sorts of delicious ways. This man who raised his shoulders and set his jaw was a battle-weary soldier. Hurt, anger and thirst for vengeance had hardened his features. Her Mack was gone.
“Three guys,” he growled. “Three really good guys were killed today by a friggin’ IED buried in the sand. Damned cowards won’t even fight like men.”
“I’m so sorry, Mack.”
“I’ve known Daniels since BUD/S. One of the best guys you’d ever meet. He wanted to be a teacher when he got out. Imagine that?” His voice hitched. “Sons of bitches.”
“Oh, Mack…” She reached for him but he pushed up off the bed. Away from her.
“Don’t worry. The SEALs will take care of this.” His eyes flashed, furiously. “I’ll make ’em pay for Daniels.”
Her heart hit the floor. “You’re going?”
“Got to, babe.” He raked his hand over his short hair, realizing as if for the first time what that phone call meant to her. To them. He had the decency to look sad about it. “It’s my job and the guys need me. The Commanding Officer needs a sniper to…eliminate a problem area.”
Naked, she faced him, pleading with everything she had. But her Mack had already left the room. And the man who stood before her at that moment couldn’t wait to rush into the heat of battle. Lieutenant Commander Mack Riley had made his choice and it didn’t include her.
There was only one thing to do. Mack would be furious if he found out, but she had to try and block his orders. She’d fallen deeply in love with him. Rock his world? He’d shaken her whole universe. Faced with losing him, she realized she couldn’t live without Mack. Dammit! Hadn’t the Navy taken enough from her already? No, she wasn’t going to stand by and let this happen. It killed her to have to beg the great Admiral Collins, but she’d do anything to save Mack. Besides, Daddy owed her big time, and he had better pay up.
She drove straight to the base.
“Dad?” Her voice seemed so small in his office. Why did she feel the need to tiptoe?
“Pumpkin Pie! Come in.” He used that cheesy nickname she used to like as a child. She could feel a headache coming on.
“Hi, Dad.”
“What a pleasant surprise. Is it Thanksgivin’ already?” Her dad rose from his humongous leather desk chair and stepped toward her. He nodded to the guard who’d escorted Jenna in. “That’ll be all.”
She went to him and he rounded the desk with those long legs and met her halfway.
“Darlin’, it’s good to see you.” He kissed the cheek she offered and turned her to face him. “What’s wrong?”
She smiled, or at least tried to, but her face hadn’t been cooperative since Mack had gotten that call. “It’s important. Do you have a few minutes?”
He led her to his deep leather couch. “For you, Pumpkin? I’ve got a lifetime.”
She willed herself to do the one thing she vowed she’d never do after Mom died—ask Daddy for help. “I’m scared. There’s this man…more than a man…he’s…” Pressure built behind her eyes. She blinked hard. No way in hell she’d cry in front of the admiral. “I’m in love, Dad. Oh, God, I love him so much. I don’t know how it happened.”
Her dad fell back against the couch as if she’d pushed him. Recovering quickly, he sat forward and took her hand. “Well, Pumpkin, that’s good news, right? Nothing to be scared about. Love happens to the best of us. Who’s the lucky fella?”
She studied him. Was his smile forced? Jenna had learned long ago that her dad had a tell. Normally, when he smiled deep creases formed around his lips. She saw the beginnings of those same creases in her face. When he hid something from her, his smile went a bit wonky. The crease on the left side of his face didn’t pop out as much as the right.
At that moment, the left crease was nonexistent.
“His name is Harry Bob Baker, a tree-hugging, pacifist who protests against the use of guns and despises the Navy. We’re going to run off and live in Antarctica.”
He dropped her hand. “That’s not funny.”
She tossed her hair out of her eyes. “You know who he is, don’t you? I should have known that nothing gets past the admiral.”
“Well, darlin’, I’m your dad. It’s my job to know what’s going on in your life and protect you.”
No. He’d given up that right years ago, but she hadn’t come to argue. She’d come to beg.
“Then protect me. Don’t let Mack go. Give him a desk job, something safe. Please, Dad, I’ve never asked for anything. I need this. I need him.”
He stopped the fake smile. “Jenna, men like Lieutenant Commander Riley don’t do desk jobs. He’s a trained fighter, one of the best. You tie him to a desk, and he’ll end up like one of them chained up pit bulls, angry at the world, and biting the hand that pets him. He’ll hate you too, sweetheart. It’s not the right thing to do.”
She bit her lip. He hadn’t told her anything she didn’t already know. “What choice do I have? I can’t let him go, Dad. I won’t.”
“Because you love him.”
She nodded.
&
nbsp; “How does he feel about you? Has he told you yet?”
Not in words. But when she closed her eyes, she could still smell and feel his gentle touch on her skin. The way he looked at her? Oh, God, no one looked at her like that. And when he whispered her name and filled her so perfectly… Who needed words?
“Mack loves me.”
“Have you asked him to stay?”
She blinked and an unbidden tear dropped off her eyelashes. “It’s his duty to go, and he doesn’t have a choice. But you do. Change his orders. Please, Dad.”
He let out a deep breath. “Listen, Pumpkin, there’s something you need to know about Lieutenant Commander Riley. He’s not who you think he is.”
Anxiety twisted in her stomach. “What do you mean?”
“The man is well-trained to be who the Navy says he is. We send him deep undercover into the field for months at a time. He blends in like one of the locals and acts the part. He’s good at it. One of our best.”
She crossed her arms. “Are you saying he’s acting like he loves me?”
“Maybe he’s not acting. But how will you know the difference?”
“That’s crazy! And paranoid. Why would Mack do that? We’ve been dating for months now. There’s no way he could be acting all that time.” And loving me like no man ever has. “I don’t believe you. Nobody does that. Besides, what reason would he have for leading me on?”
“Ask him.”
“No, I’m not going to ask him that! I trust him.”
“I’m not sure that’s the right move. Trust your life in his hands, yes. Not your heart. He’ll only break it.” He reached out to pat her leg. “I don’t want to see my little girl get hurt.”
The way Dad set his jaw meant that he was telling the truth. Was it possible? Did he know more about Mack than she did? Oh, God. It had to be something bad.
“Oh, no.” She stood, towering over her seated father. All the blood went to her feet. “No, no. You have something on him.”
“Sit down, pumpkin. Let me explain.”
SEALs of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle - Navy SEAL Style Page 98