Captivated in Cancun

by KaLyn Cooper

  “No, Jeff works for Jack and Stacie is the cruise...” Lilly quickly assembled the seemingly random pieces together and didn’t like the picture. Josh hunted terrorists. “They’re undercover.”

  Not a muscle moved on Josh’s blank face. He wouldn’t confirm nor deny her accusation.

  “What does all this have to do with the cruise ship?” She leaned up on an elbow to see him better. Her courtroom experience had taught her to catch and exploit lies.

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear then ran his fingers down her tight jaw. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it before you officially buy the ships.” He lifted her chin and lightly kissed her lips. “I promise.”

  So it did have to do with the ship. Oh, hell. The hint of a problem could ruin their cruise line before they ever set sail. But her family didn’t own the ship yet.

  “I’ll prepare a statement for the PR Department to release when you’ve got the...who are these bad guys?” Her mind was now in business mode running at full speed. It was her job to protect all the Girard International holdings.

  Josh shook his head. “Maybe, and I mean maybe, when it’s all over, I’ll tell you about it. And there won’t be any press release. The general public is never officially informed about our government stopping terrorists at the borders. Only when an ambitious journalist stumbles onto a story is it ever addressed.”

  “Then what can I do to help?” There had to be something she could do, but she didn’t have a clue as to what.

  He took her face in both hands and brought her lips to his. He kissed her from one end of her mouth to the other. “I need you to stay here where I know you’re safe.” He then smiled. “And be prepared for a night of sex. When I finish a mission, all I want is a shower, a drink, and a night of fucking. In that order.”

  Fucking. She really didn’t care for that word but that’s what they were doing. It wasn’t making love. That involved feelings, and she didn’t have— Or did she? Nope. All they had between them was good sex. Okay, damn good sex. Oh, hell, it was the best sex of her life. With the promise of more. Yes. She wanted more.

  She smiled back at him. “I can do that for you.” He seemed open to discussion so she thought she’d hit him with her next line of questioning. “I overheard you talking with your son today. Why—”

  “Whoa.” Josh’s brows drew together and he stared at her. “Where did you get the idea I have a son? I don’t have any children.”

  Lilly sat up and leaned back against the new, woven rattan headboard. It felt scratchy so she grabbed a few pillows and stuffed them behind her. “I distinctly heard you talking to your son. He wanted to come live with you.” She wouldn’t tolerate a liar. “The boy you’re going to discuss buying a car for when you get back to D.C.” She crossed her arms over her naked breasts.

  Josh smiled and sat up beside her, throwing an arm over her shoulders. “Sweetheart, I was talking to my nephew.”

  “But you called him son.” She didn’t want to sound whiney, but he had referred to the teenager as son.

  “I call your boys son, too, and they’re not mine.”

  Was that a flash of regret that sped across Josh’s face and disappeared quickly? Maybe he regretted not having children.

  “You and your sister are close?” She was going to get to the bottom of this, then make her own decision if he was lying.

  His smile broadened. “I don’t have a sister, but I have a sister-in-law named Henrietta, but we all call her Honey.”

  “Oh,” was all Lilly could manage. She collected her thoughts and continued that line of questioning. “You seem to be very involved in your brother’s family life.”

  Josh’s entire body tensed. He closed his eyes and swallowed. His muscles eased a fraction. “I promised Sean I’d take care of his family if anything ever happened to him.”

  “Your brother is...gone?” An invisible fist clenched around Lilly’s heart. She knew what it was like to lose a brother. Although a lump the size of a golf ball clogged her throat, she choked out, “How was he killed?”

  “Fucking politics.” He spat out the words.

  That made no sense. “What?”

  He shifted as though uncomfortable with the conversation. “Ever hear of the Battle of Benghazi?”

  Chapter 20

  Josh hadn’t talked about Sean’s death in years.

  It hurt too much. Even now.

  But with Lilly naked beside him, he felt compelled to make her understand why he’d never get married again and didn’t want kids. The world was such a terrible place and there were too many people out there who hated Americans. He would constantly fear for them and want to protect them. But couldn’t. He’d failed his brother. Failing a wife or a child...unthinkable.

  “You know my youngest brother was murdered.” Lilly stumbled over the sentence but went on, “so I know how you feel.”

  No way in hell did she know how he felt. He and his SEALs had been close enough to save both Sean and the ambassador to Libya. But they’d been ordered to hold while fucking politicians were awakened back in D.C., put on their thousand-dollar suits, and were brought by limousine to a conference room hours too late to make a decision. Sean had already been dead by the time the committee was assembled. The only thing they had decided in that room was how to cover up their lack of immediate action.

  “Your brother was the ambassador?” Lilly asked.

  With a sneer, Josh replied, “No. He was the TOG.”

  “Excuse me?” She looked so innocent and beautiful as she peered over at him. “Is that an acronym for some kind of government job?”

  He couldn’t hold in his chuckle. In a strange way, yes. “No. It stands for The Other Guy, the one no one knows so he’s never mentioned in the press, as though his life wasn’t as important as the ambassador’s.” Josh tamped down his rage and drew Lilly close. Having her beside him felt comforting. No woman, not even his ex-wife, had made him open up about his feelings. But Lilly was different. Special. It seemed so easy lying in bed and talking to her this way.

  “Sean was the Information Officer for the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, and usually traveled with the ambassador.” The gut-wrenching memories of those long hours wore on Josh, then and now. “We were going to meet up in Rome for a few days of R and R, when he finished the trip to Benghazi.”

  “You were going to fly over to see him?” Lilly encouraged.

  “No. I was already in the Med. Syria had been heating up, and we’d been sent there for a mission to—” He couldn’t tell her about the rescue of six CIA agents and their families who had been targeted by terrorists. Jack had been team leader of one of those ops. “I had teams close enough to help. Sean had told me they’d requested additional security several times but it had been denied. Fucking politics. The State Department feared it would send the wrong message to the Libyans.”

  He sighed, then inhaled a fortifying breath. He’d never told anyone outside the Navy briefing about this next part. “Sean called me while they were under attack.”

  His throat squeezed so tight he could barely breathe.

  “He begged me to come save him and the ambassador. They were the only two left at that location because they’d sent everyone else to the CIA compound. They were waiting for their caravan so they could leave the city. It never showed. Instead, militia leader Ahmed Abu Khattala and his men attacked.”

  Josh closed his eyes to hold in the tears and shame of his failure. “I stormed into the Admiral’s office on the aircraft carrier and demanded to be allowed to send in my teams. He was already on the phone loudly arguing with someone at the Pentagon asking for permission.”

  Warm water hit Josh’s shoulder, and he opened his eyes.

  Lilly was silently crying, trails of gold reflected in the subdued lamplight. This woman was as beautiful inside as she was outside. She was crying for his pain.

  “Fucking politics.” Her words made him chuckle, releasing the pent up tension inside him.

&
nbsp; “Yeah. Fucking politics.” Josh pulled Lilly onto his lap, and she threw her arms around his neck.

  “I’m so sorry.” She rubbed his back and repeated those three words over and over. He wasn’t sure if she cried for the loss of her brother or his. It didn’t matter. They shared the pain, their naked bodies pressed chest to chest. She stole part of his heart with each tear.

  No one had comforted Josh this way during the loss of his brother. The only woman close to him at that time had been Honey, and she’d been a mess, not even consoling her children. Josh had lovingly hugged his niece and nephew as they’d wept in his arms and held their hands as they said a final goodbye to their father at his graveside.

  That day had reconfirmed the private oath he’d taken, he would never become a father. He couldn’t put his children through that kind of heart-wrenching pain.

  Everything had fallen on Josh from the moment Honey had been notified of Sean's death by the State Department. He’d handled the business of death, and it was business with so many decisions to be made. From the expected question of where to bury his brother, to the unexpected life insurance policies Sean had secretly taken out, naming each child as beneficiary, days before he’d left for his last assignment to the Middle East.

  Lilly sniffed and lifted off him to snag a tissue from the night stand. She blew her nose and tossed it aside. In a surprising move, she returned to him and straddled his hips. “So your sister-in-law and her children are now your responsibility?”

  Said that way, it sounded like more than he considered it. “Honey isn’t like you,” he tried to explain. “She’s not strong. She doesn’t handle things well.”

  “From my point of view, she’s handling you like the father in absentia.” Her tone was accusatory. “You’ve only been here a few days and how many times has she called? Hell, Josh, you’re talking like a divorced father, to the whole family, rather than a doting uncle.”

  “Fuck.”

  She was right. Honey had all but moved him into their life since the funeral. She called him constantly. She’d needed advice about every little decision, expecting him to take action and help her when the kids were acting out.

  But he’d promised Sean to take care of his family. That might be a lifelong commitment but to what extent was he expected to care for them?

  Lilly asked with jealous glint in her eye, “Does she casually touch you when you’re together?” She laid a light hand on his forearm.

  “No, she’s not—” He stopped, remembering Easter with her and the kids. She’d demanded he sit at the head of the table and carve the ham. But he was a man and that was a man’s place. Right? And yes, she did casually touch him and hug him hello and goodbye. A bit too long sometimes for his comfort.

  “Does she get a little close when passing by?” Lilly rubbed her breasts over his chest. He loved the way her nipples got hard and wrinkled as she dragged them through his hair. He was totally distracted by the woman in his lap, and Henrietta was the last thing he wanted to think about. But she pushed on.

  “You said you don’t like helpless women, but she certainly gets your attention whenever she calls.” Lilly was right, again. He always answered Honey’s calls immediately.

  “Jealous?” He cupped Lilly’s breasts and felt heat pour through the silken sheets that were the only barrier between his dick and her tight channel. He was hard as granite and wanted more of Lilly. He’d think about the situation with Sean’s wife later.

  “If you ever call me, I promise to answer on the first ring.” He took a pebbled nipple into his mouth.

  “Ring. Ring.” Lilly’s heated smile and the devious look in her eyes matched his need for her.

  “What can I do for you, Lilly Girard?” He’d do anything for this amazing woman.

  ****

  By the time Josh and Jack had finished lifting weights, running five miles, and swimming back the same distance, he felt every one of his forty-three years. The fact he did all that on less than three hours sleep, he’d never regret. Lilly had been insatiable last night. He’d given her four orgasms and had three himself. Pretty amazing since they hadn’t gotten started until after two o’clock. Thankfully, he’d sneaked out of her room and into his minutes before Jack knocked all bright-eyed and ready to roll.

  They had rinsed the sand off in the outdoor shower and grabbed bottles of water from behind the quad bar before they both jumped into the pool.

  While running on the beach that morning, he and Jack had smoothed out the plan they’d created the night before. Neither man liked that the Policía Federal Ministerial had practically taken over the operation, but it was their country.

  Ed had pointed out that neither Josh nor Stacie should be anywhere near Cozumel until it was absolutely necessary since Zak had seen them together and she was supposed to be on her way back to the States to care for her ailing father.

  As though their presence in the pool was an announcement for children’s playtime, Addi galloped out of the pool house in her bathing suit, water wings affixed to each arm.

  “Last one in is a rotten egg!” Preston burst through the quad door from the stairs. “And eggs stink.”

  “I don’t stink,” Greyson insisted. “I had a bath last night.”

  Boys. Josh smiled. Those two were just like him and Sean when they were kids. They were best friends. Had to be since their father was a Navy officer and they moved every few years. But they always had each other. It had been a good life. Their father had been deployed a lot but he always came home with big hugs for them both.

  His father’s face and words came back to him in a flash of memory. He was in his uniform, ready to leave again, hugging them all goodbye. “Don’t leave, Dad. We need you here.” Josh was...maybe eight?

  He could hear his father’s words as though he was there, “I do this because I love you so much. Our American way of life is very special, and I want to keep it that way. For you. And your brother. And your children.”

  His father had expected him to have children. He was all that was left to carry on the Madden tradition. No way would his nephew make it in the service. Not even in the Air Force.

  But Josh didn’t have kids.

  Water splashed in his face bringing him back to the two small boys in front of him.

  “Throw me in the air, Mr. Josh,” Greyson demanded. Yes. Children were the reason he chose to defend our country. To maintain the freedoms he and Sean had possessed as children.

  Lilly walked out of her room and headed to where Mateo and Calita had set out juice. The spandex of Lilly’s yoga outfit fit like a second skin over hips that flared out from a small waist. The matching sports bra held her delicious breasts in place but they still bounced slightly as she walked. Covering all those curves with an abaya would be a crime. Women’s bodies were meant to be appreciated by men.

  “Me first.” Preston stood in front of Josh, arms up.

  “Let’s move into the deeper water for you, big boy.” Josh backed toward the other end of the pool. Preston wore a pair of faded board shorts, so unlike the meticulously dressed boy he’d come to know. Maybe his pristine ones were in the wash. He grabbed the child’s small frame and threw him easily over his head, a squeal of delight fading into a splash. Josh’s heart warmed as Greyson stepped up. He hoisted the small child and flipped him into the shallower end, away from where Jack gently tossed Addi into the air and caught her before dipping her tiny body into the warm water.

  These kids were a lot of fun. And they were good kids, obeying their parents, although sometimes grumpily if they needed naps.

  “Thank you, Mr. Josh.” Preston hugged his neck then whispered in his ear. “And thank you again for saving me. You said we can talk, man to man.” The boy clung to Josh’s neck. He could practically feel the child gather his resolve. “Can we talk...later? Like when Mom’s not around?”

  The boy tore at his heart. “Sure thing.” He hugged Preston tight to his chest. When the child eased his grip, Josh asked, “Yo
u ready to fly?”

  Preston leaned back. “High this time. Really high. Please?”

  If he could be guaranteed children like these two, he’d consider having some.

  Josh stopped cold. He ran a mind check. Did he mean it? Would he really consider having kids?

  “My turn.” Greyson reached his skinny arms up toward Josh and gave him a smile showing a missing tooth.

  “Lose something, son?” Josh asked and pointed to his own smile.

  “Oh, it fell out last night at supper. It’ll grow back.” The shrug the little boy gave him was one he’d seen Jack give a hundred times. “Can you fly me into the deep part? I can swim you know.”

  “Come eat, boys,” Lilly called from the outdoor dining area. “You big boys, too. Jack. Josh. Don’t let Mateo’s breakfast get cold.”

  The familiar morning chorus of “Yes, ma’am” came as they all made their way to the buffet.

  Lilly caught Josh and Jack and pulled them aside, out of earshot of the children. “I think something happened at the wedding yesterday, but Preston won’t talk to me about it. And today he wants me to take him shopping for new clothes. He claims he doesn’t have the right clothes for Mexico. He actually said he wanted more clothes like yours.” She raked her gaze over Jack from head to toe. “Do you own anything other than board shorts and t-shirts with local bar logos?”

  “Kid’s got good taste.” Jack smiled at his sister. “Want me to talk to him?”

  “Actually, Preston asked to talk to me in private,” Josh stated. “But I don’t know much about kids.”

  “I’ll give you back up,” Jack offered and smacked him on the shoulder.

  Thank God for Jack.

  When the entire family, along with Stacie, were seated, Jack announced, “I have to take the dive boat tour this morning.” He glanced at Josh in confirmation and question, “Anyone want to come with me?”

  “I do.” Preston looked at his mother as though asking permission.

  “Me, too. Me, too,” Greyson begged.

  Lilly glanced between Jack and her boys, then back again. “I don’t know, boys. Jack will be dealing with guests, it’s not like when it’s just family.”