“I caught you, didn't I?” He tossed her a wink.
“Does this mean I owe you dinner or something now?” She blew a lock of hair dangling across her eyes.
“I'll settle for a thank you.” And a kiss. He hoped the words stayed in his head and didn't fly out of his mouth.
She tucked her head and a soft sigh puffed out of her mouth. “Thank you.” Clearing her throat, she locked her eyes back on his. “How many guys would jump off a roof for you, ya know? That's got to lead to at least first base, right?”
A full on laugh rumbled in his chest, shaking the line they dangled from, reminding him of the reality of the moment. How easily he lost himself around her. She was the very definition of a distraction. “Let's get out of this. I'm getting a headache hanging upside down.”
She gave a nod.
“You got a good grip on me? Because I need to let go of you to get the rest of my climbing gear. I'm going to tie an extra line off this one. You'll be able to climb down the rope then to the rocks.”
“Okay. I'm gripping.” Her nose crinkled as she closed her eyes in a wince.
Noah wondered if she knew just how adorable she was. Shit, Hound, knock it the fuck off.
“And, releasing.” He reached over his shoulder and got the extra line, tying it off to the carabiner on the line currently suspending them. Sliding his hands along her waist, he gripped tight to her body, holding her in place. “All right, I've got you again.”
A shower of bullets whizzed past his head. Noah glanced up at the line of guns standing on the roof shooting at them.
“We need to move this along.” Noah gave her waist a squeeze.
“On it.” Jayla held tight to the extended rope and lowered herself down to the rocks.
Another spray of bullets flew around him. “Run, Fox! I'll catch up.”
“I'm not leaving you!” she screamed back up to him.
“This isn't the time to argue with me. Dammit. Move!” He unclipped himself from the first line. Just as he flipped himself over and grabbed onto the new one, the rope slacked. They fucking cut it on him.
Chapter Seven
Jayla's lips kissed the dirt as she dove into a cover of large palm trees on the edge of the rocks. The smell of burnt flesh flooded her nose, and a scorching heat seared the skin on her upper arm. She'd been hit. Closing one eye, she turned her head and chanced a look at it. The tight hold her stomach had on her heart finally released as she found it only to be a flesh wound, a simple grazing of the skin. Thank God for bad aim.
She reached into her bra and pulled out the gun she tucked away moments ago, wondering if Hound would notice it missing. Peeking through the trees, she released a round of fire back toward the roof, covering Noah as he finished his descent. Only the rope disappeared from under him. Someone cut his line.
“Hound!”
He flailed in the air in a free fall before he crisscrossed his arms over his chest and straightened his legs. Jayla's heart pounded so hard it made her dizzy. Sweat slicked her palms as she struggled to hold onto the gun, continuing to empty her clip, hoping and praying Noah wasn't dead.
He landed boots first with an oomph, tucking and rolling into the cover of the little rain forest on the edge of the property.
A voice bellowed in the distance as one of the thugs from the roof fell over, flailing his way to the rocks before silence claimed him.
“Oh, hey, look! I got one.” After a moment, Jayla swallowed hard at the realization. She took a life. A bad guy, but still. She had blood on her hands now. And sweat, and dirt, and guilt. And if she hadn't, they may not survive.
Shaking herself from her vicious circle of thoughts, she dashed over to Hound. “Noah,” she whispered and cupped his cheek with her hand.
His eyes fluttered open and a smile curled over his lips. “Nice shot.”
Jayla's lips pursed to a thin line. “I thought you were dead.”
“So that's the only way I'll get you to be nice to me?” Rolling to his knees, he dusted himself off and peeked through the trees. “We need to move. I've got an IBS waiting on the other side of the island.”
“Irritable Bowel Syndrome? This really isn't a good time for that. And what do you mean? I've been nice to you,” she retorted, stomping her way through the forest behind him.
“Inflatable Boat, Small.” He snorted. “Exactly when have you been nice?”
“Really? We're going to talk about this right now?” Jayla darted past him, weaving her way through the foliage.
“See, just like that. You don't even know where the boat is and you're marching off on some kind of quest, a vendetta. What the hell did I do to you?” Hound's voice echoed behind her.
She spun around and he jerked to a stop. “I don't need help. Why do you assume I do, because I have boobs?”
“How about because I saved your life … twice. And I'll do it again if I have to, even though I know you don't appreciate it. Because that's who I am.” He grabbed her by the shoulder. His thick, calloused fingers dug into the scarred flesh from the bullet wound, and she shirked from his grasp, slapping his hand away with a wince. “Shit, are you hurt? Let me see.”
He reached for her again, but she took off in a run. Dodging trees, branches, and whatever creepy critters lay hidden in the forest, Jayla ran as fast as she could away from him. From the truth. His words hit her harder than the bullet. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be alive right now. And she hated it. Hated him.
By sheer dumb luck, she ended up in the right direction and found the escape boat tied to a tree at the edge of the bank. With trembling fingers, she worked the knot loose and pushed the boat to the water.
A bullet whizzed by her ear and in a delayed reaction, Jayla arched backward and fell into the boat. Noah flew out of the forest in a swan dive, landing spread eagle on top of her as he launched the boat into the water and started the motor.
Jayla reached up and grabbed two guns from Noah's front holster. She wrestled her arms out from under him and rested her hands on his back. Not having any idea where the hell she was aiming, since he laid right on top of her, she fired off several shots, trying to give him some cover as he drove them to their escape.
Once the return fire trailed off, Noah eased off her and she scooted out from under him, finding a corner of the boat to herself, away from his hulky, protective body. Her mind swarmed with thoughts of what it would be like under him like that, with a lot less clothing involved. His body dwarfed her, but the hedge of protection he gave her made her feel safe. She hated it.
Because she liked it.
She curled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them, watching the tiny island fade into the distance.
“How's your arm,” Noah said, looking straight out into the open water.
“I'm fine.” Jayla pressed her cheek to her knee and turned away from him. She didn't want to talk to him. Mostly due to the fear that she'd just break down. She wasn't fine. Far from fine.
“That's not what I asked.” He pulled out a medkit from his vest and tossed it to her across the boat.
Jayla quirked a brow. What didn't he have in that vest of his? “Extension charm or Time Lord magic?”
A grin tugged at the edge of his lips. “SEAL technology.”
She forced back a smile. “What else have you got in there?”
“If you come closer, I'll let you have a look.”
“I don't want in your pants. I want in your vest.” Jayla dug into the med kit and wiped her wound with the antiseptic wipe, sucking in a gasp at the sting.
“Dare I help you?” He let go of the rudder, and the motor sputtered to a stop as he inched his way over to her side of the boat. A flicker of excitement and adrenaline hit her as he brushed her fingers, taking the swab from her, before he dabbed her wound with gentle strokes along her skin.
She swallowed the emotional ball at the back of her throat. One hand cupped her elbow with a gentleness that unnerved her, the other tended to her with
care. Despite being a SEAL, he had an amazing bedside manner. She forced out a huff and looked in the complete opposite direction.
Do not let him know he gets to you. Avoid eye contact.
He brushed a finger along her jawline, nudging her head back to his gaze. “I think you'll make a full recovery.”
“Shit!” Jayla shouted, reaching for his gun.
Noah jumped back. “You're gonna shoot me for putting a Bandaid on you?”
“Get down,” she yelled, thrusting her arms up, gun aimed over his shoulder at the speedboat gaining on them in the distance. “Can this thing go any faster?”
Noah glanced behind him, then dove toward the rudder, kicking the boat into high gear.
Angry flashes of lighting lit up the dark clouds swirling above them. The wind picked up, tossing the small boat along the curling waves. “We've got the outer bands of the hurricane hitting. We need to get to the rendezvous point with the team in order to make it back to the Ford in time.”
“I'll shoot, you drive.” Jayla reached into his pants and pulled out his other SIG.
“I can do both.” Noah turned to his side, grabbed his machine gun tucked under the ledge of the Zodiac and drove with one hand, shooting with the other.
Her heart pounded like a drum. Not from the gunfire. Not from the chase. But from the sight of him. One arm bulged with muscle as he worked to hold the machine gun steady. Hard lines etched along his locked jaw in concentration as he nailed the speedboat, while still somehow managing to drive their own little inflatable boat.
Her focus disintegrated as she fell back on her ass, firing off random shots in what felt like slow motion as she watched him. In a flash, he tossed the machine gun to the floor of the boat and dove on top of her.
“I think I hit their fuel tank. Hold on.” He wrapped himself around her as the speedboat exploded, sending shrapnel flying into the air around them.
She muffled a scream against his chest and he tightened his arms. “Can't breathe,” she choked out.
“Sorry,” he rolled off her as they floated away from the wreckage.
“Thanks,” she whispered. “That was all very James Bond.”
He let out a laugh and settled in at the back of the boat to adjust the rudder. “I think we make a pretty good team. You have really good aim.”
“Well I actually avoid shooting as much as possible.” She bowed her head and swallowed hard. “I've never taken a life before today.”
“As bad as it sounds, I don't even think about it anymore. I can't. I just believe that what I'm doing is right and go on from there. If you think about it, it'll eat your soul. If people like that are left alive in the world, a whole lot more lives will die because of it. Innocent people. So, you have to shut it out and do your job.” He wiped away the beads of sweat and dirt on his brow.
His words sounded full of logic and lacking in emotion. But his eyes were far from matter-of-fact. Deep within them held something full of emotion, full of memory. Full of loss. There was far more to Noah, 'Hound', than she thought.
“For what it's worth, you were pretty damn amazing tonight.” He focused his gaze on her. His eyes penetrated hers, deep, until it hit her soul with a punch and forced her to look away.
She'd done a lot of amazing things in her life. Strived to do so, welcoming the accolades and the notoriety of it all. She lived to prove people wrong about her. But in one instant, this man, this person she'd come to loathe tipped her world upside down. Because he made her think. He made her feel, and it hurt. Because that hatred, that loathing was a lie. She was falling for him, and in truth she hated not him, but herself for wanting to give into it.
She'd fallen for all the things the Frog Hogs fell for. The man in the uniform, the muscles, the brawn, the hero. She'd seen it in action and felt it in his lips. And he'd saved her life not once, but twice in the same day.
Closing her eyes, she sucked in a deep breath to clear her thoughts. Don't do it, Jayla. Do NOT fall for him.
Something wet hit her nose. Then another hit her chest, rolling down into her cleavage. She opened her eyes, looking up at the thick, dark clouds covering up the dusky sky. Great. Rain. As if this day couldn't suck any more.
“How much longer 'til we meet up with the other boat?” She pointed to the sky. “Looks like the storm's gonna hit.”
His brow furrowed. “We should have been there by now, but we got off course with the speedboat chase.” The sputtering of the motor muffled the last of his words. “And, it'll be a little longer now that we've run out of gas. We'll have to paddle.”
“Why don't we just call the team?” She patted her ear and worry pitted in her stomach, pitching and rolling as hard as the waves that rocked their boat. “Shit. Lost my ear piece. Can you radio for help?”
“My radio bit the dust when I fell. We've been on our own since we left the island.” Noah looked around the boat. “Shit's about to get real dicey. Get in the middle of the boat and under me.”
“What?” She brushed away the rain falling in hard, fat drops, plunking her in the face. “What's going on?”
“Storm. I hope you don't get seasick. We'll be okay. This boat's designed for rough waters. But get under me, I don't want you tossed out. I'm trained for this. You're not.” His commanding voice and stern eyes told her there'd be no arguing.
With a nod, she scooted herself to the middle of the boat and hunkered down. Noah spread himself across her, stretching his arms to grab the ropes on either side of the boat. Jayla focused on the veins popping in his forearms and the sinewy muscles bulging beneath his short-sleeved shirt.
“Turn over. We're doin' this doggy-style.” He tossed her a wink and a smile.
Jayla's eyes popped wide open. “What?”
“You stay face up like that and as soon as the first wave hits, you'll drown inhaling water from the shock. Face down, sweetheart. Let it wash over the back of your head and suck in a deep breath the minute it hits.” He let out a deep sigh and planted a quick kiss to her forehead. “You'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise.”
“Dude, I thought you were talking about sex. Swimming, I'm okay with.” Spray from an incoming wave splashed across her face, and she rolled over to her stomach as directed. All while berating herself for mentioning the word sex to him. Now all she could think about was the fact that his penis ground against her ass every time the boat rocked.
He let out a snort. “This is as close as you'll get to having sex with me, I assure you.”
She rolled back over and glared at him. “What's that supposed to mean?”
He rolled her back over with one hand, quickly reattaching his grip as another wave tossed the little inflatable boat like a rubber duck. “You don't even like me, why would sex enter the picture? In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, during a fucking hurricane no less.”
“I never said I didn't like you,” she said, a little angrier than she anticipated the words to come out. She rolled over in his arms and grabbed his SOG knife from its sheath against his leg.
“What the hell are you doing?” He looked down at her, inches from her lips.
“If we end up in the water I'll drown in this. And since I'm all but sewn in ...” She ran the knife up the rest of the slit of the dress, slicing it off her body. Jayla pressed her fingertip to his nose. “Don't you dare stare at my underwear.”
Noah's eyes shot open as he shook his head in surprise.
Rain pelted the boat, hitting the patches of her skin not covered by Noah's body. The sea salt puckered her mouth as she licked her lips. Darkness shrouded them. No moon. No stars. Only flashes of lightning lit the sky, which only brought more fear as it illuminated the monster storm heading their way.
Waves rocked the boat harder as the tumultuous seas all but swallowed them. Jayla didn't normally get sea-sick, but her stomach teetered on the edge of giving in to the nausea.
A warm hand rubbed down her back, just as Noah's lips pressed to her ear. “Hang in there.
You're doing really well.”
Tears clung to the edges of her eyes, brought on by the salt water or the fear clawing its way up the back of her throat, she couldn't tell. But she wasn't a crier. Let alone in front of a SEAL. She sucked in a deep breath, pushing back the feelings and clung to the fighting spirit that kept her alive all these years.
“Shit. Fox, hang on to me. I don't think we'll be able to withstand this one. We've got a twenty footer heading for us. If we get dumped, grab onto me.” Noah rolled her to face him. “Do. Not. Let. Go. Do you understand?”
Jayla nodded and curled her arms around him.
“Get ready.” He lifted his head, watching the wave roll in.
Jayla closed her eyes and curled her fingers into his vest.
“One. Two. Three. Deep breath. I've got you,” he said, before shoving something in his mouth as the wave rolled over on top of them, flipping the boat, tossing them into the water.
Jayla's fingers slipped from her grip on Noah's vest, the force of the plunging water ripping it from her grasp. The back suction of the wave pulled her down further. Panic shot her eyes open, searching for Noah, but the sting of the salt and blackness of the water forced them shut again. Something clamped around her waist and hoisted her upward. Her head broke the surface and she sucked in a gasp of air with a cough.
“Noah,” she screamed into the darkness.
A flash of lightning struck, before the thunderous boom followed, piercing her ears and swallowing her cries.
“Noah,” she shouted again, splashing around.
Noah's head emerged from the water and he shoved something in her mouth. “Breathe. Here comes another one. This time, I mean it. Do not let go of me, dammit.” A strong arm clamped around her and tugged her body flush to his. He sucked in a deep breath as another wave crashed down on them, tumbling their bodies together through the water.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: The Fox and The Hound (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Breaking the SEAL Book 1) Page 6