With her at his back, they slipped down the alley, her footsteps heavier than his but not loud. She followed his lead and kept her head down. Her breath pounded against the back of his neck, but she never got winded.
Houses passed in a blur as they ran from cover to cover. The closer they got to the open square where the neighborhood park stood, the more people he saw. None were facing his way. They laughed and pointed at something in front of them. When they reached the far side of the park and faced the last dash to safety, he took one final look through the buildings and stopped. There, in the distance, was a man in a suit. The same man Hal had seen with the ambassador.
Megan must have noticed the gathering because her steps slammed to a stop. There, out in the open, she stood in scuffed slippers and a skirt that had inched up her thighs as she ran. Her chest rose and fell on harsh breaths.
No one had noticed them and Hal didn’t wait to be discovered. He tugged her along after him until their backs flattened against the wall of a small home. Hal motioned for her to stay quiet and still as he peeked around the corner for a better look.
“That’s Ellison. You have to save him.” Her comment came from right behind him.
As Hal watched, Ellison rolled out a long piece of paper and pointed to areas while he spoke in Eritesan. A quick visual tour of the crowd and Ellison told Hal what he needed to know. He was meeting with the power cell of the rebels and Ellison didn’t have an injury and wasn’t calling out for help. The man was exactly where he was supposed to be.
“Wait. He’s in on it?” Shock threaded through Megan’s voice as she said the thought that played in Hal’s mind.
Hal knew what they were seeing didn’t necessarily mean what Megan thought it did. “Looks that way. It’s either a CIA operation or he’s dirty.”
She shot Hal a you’ve-lost-your-mind look that women did so well. “Skip isn’t CIA.”
“I’m betting you’re wrong about that, but it doesn’t guarantee this is an approved op. More likely a power grab using Ellison’s intel. But we’ll figure that out later.”
“And before then?”
They had to get out of there alive first and now was the best chance. With a significant number of soldiers gathered in one place that meant fewer on the streets. They had to move. “We run like hell for the water.”
He’d no sooner said the plan than two armed men turned the corner and headed right for them. The men were talking and didn’t notice a problem until one of them tripped over Megan. Hal pushed her out of the way and stepped into the line of fire. Before the men could yell for help, Hal nailed the guy under the chin with an elbow, sending his head flying back. Bones snapped as the man let out a keening wail. Wanting to keep their position quiet, Hal kicked out at the other attacker, catching him behind the knee and sending him crashing to the sandy ground and his gun spinning in the sand.
Hal didn’t waste time. He stepped on one man’s wrist to keep him from lunging for the gun. When the one with the leg injury tried to get up, Megan kicked out the elbow he was using for balance and sent the man sprawling. While he was down, Hal landed a second kick to his forehead, knocking him out on contact.
The one with the head injury wasn’t going down as easily. He opened his mouth to yell and Hal reached an arm around his neck. Legs flailed and shoes scraped against the ground. The guy’s hands slapped and punched against Hal’s arm, but Hal never eased up on his hold. He pressed against the man’s throat until he gagged and wheezed. Then his body went slack and slipped to the ground. Two down but alive.
When Hal looked up again, Megan held one of the attacker’s guns on the fallen men. With her legs braced as far apart as her slim skirt would allow, she switched her aim from one unconscious man to the other. The barrel bounced all over the place as her hands shook.
Hal respect for her grew even bigger. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Her clipped speech reeked of panicked aftermath.
He decided to take the weapon before she accidentally shot him. He slid his hand over hers and lowered the barrel to the ground. “You can be my partner any time.”
Her eyes finally focused on his face. “Get me out of here and we’ll talk about it.”
Flirting had to be a good sign. “Deal.”
Chapter Five
Megan stood in the family room of her short-term business rental in southwest D.C. and looked out her window at the Potomac River. Not having a home and not being able to stay with her parents after two dinners which consisted of lectures on “a proper career,” she was stuck in a temporary apartment filled with furniture and belongings that weren’t hers. What little she owned sat in a storage locker in Erites, so she doubted she’d see any of that soon.
She’d been there for ten days. The raft ride over the rough Pacific led her to an aircraft carrier. Hal had gotten her up on deck then disappeared. She hadn’t seen him on the ship, at the airport in Honolulu, or in any of the offices she sat in while being briefed over the last week in D.C.
She was on something called mandatory temporary leave. Apparently that was protocol after an attack situation. Foreign service officers got pulled out of the field. Most took off for a few weeks of vacation, but she didn’t have anywhere to go. She didn’t even have a permanent address. When she sent a message through the proper channels to Hal she could only provide this hotel address.
And she doubted he ever got her note. The Navy didn’t breach the privacy of the SEALs. No one would even admit his existence. But she knew he was out there and prayed he was fine.
She was so lost in thought that she barely heard the knock. When the pounding grew louder, she went to the door, careful to check the peephole first. The sight that greeted her had her blinking and questioning her sanity even as the blood raced through her veins, heating as it went.
Jeans and a polo. Hair he kept combing with his fingers. The broadest shoulders and the sexiest mouth she’d ever tasted. She pulled open the door and drank him in.
“Hal.”
He smiled until it lit up his face. “Megan White.”
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“These are for you.” He held up a half-crumpled bag.
She would have been wary but that sparkle in his eyes suggested the surprise, whatever it was, likely was the good kind. She unrolled the top and peeked inside. A fluffy mound of pink and four black-button eyes greeted her. She burst into laughter a second later.
“I thought you could use a new pair. I doubt the last pair survived the sand and water.”
She lifted her foot to show off her white socks, a huge grin tugging on her lips the whole time. “I couldn’t save the bunnies, so thank you.”
“How have you been?” His voice swept over her with the softness of a sweet caress.
“I left a message for you.”
“And here I am.” He stared at the space behind her. “May I come in?”
Her thoughts splintered and her hands shook, but somehow she stepped aside and let him come in. “You’re okay.”
“I had to go back to Erites.” He walked into the room and kept going until she motioned for him to take a seat on the couch.
She sat next to him with her legs curled underneath her. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Need to know, but the news reports about U.S. policy toward Erites being in flux are correct.” Hal’s arm slipped across the back of her couch cushions and his hand slipped into her hair. “Ellison is alive, on the ground and doing the job he was sent to do.”
That was the information she got from her interviewers. If Ellison was a spy, he was theirs not the rebels’.
With the tough part out of the way, she focused on Hal. She beat back the urge to jump in his arms. “I’ve been interrogated to the point where I can’t remember anything but my name.”
His thumb caressed her cheek. “Gotta love protocol.”
“I’m grounded. I have a thirty-day hold before my next assignment.” She leaned in, letting the
warmth of his palm wash through her. “Of course, since I’ve been through what they term ‘an ordeal,’ I have the pick of my next assignment.”
His eyebrow lifted. “Where do you want to go?”
“I’m not sure I want to go anywhere.”
“Finally stop running?”
His soothing touch made her realize what was missing. The comfort of closeness with someone else. Of being able to discuss fears without being judged and verbally berated about her life decisions. “I’m still trying to find something.”
He glanced around, his eyes narrowing as he went. “You think you’re going to find it in here?”
She laughed and her head fell sideways until it rested on his shoulder. Being this close to him, wrapped in the safety of his strong arms, her messed up world shifted right again. “No.”
“Can I make a suggestion?”
She felt his lips move against her hair and closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation. “Sure.”
“San Diego.”
Afraid to move to fast or read between the lines, she lifted her head and chose her words carefully. “What are you saying?”
“You have thirty days. I have a condo.” He placed a kiss on her nose then another high on her cheekbone. “Thought we could see if this attraction still sparked without the danger and gunfire pushing it. With your career background, you understand mine. And I sure as hell know I’ve thought about you non-stop since I put you on that ship.”
Her gaze met his and she couldn’t look away. “So, I become your houseguest.”
This time his mouth lingered over hers before he spoke again. “You sleep in my bed. We go out, though I would prefer to stay in as much as possible, and we see if whatever you’re looking for is in California with me.”
Her heart jumped. It actually bounced hard enough to knock her breathless for a second. The terror and aftermath were behind them. He was a man of few words but she understood what he didn’t say. This was about moving forward. About a possible future.
“On one condition.”
His head snapped back as his eyes grew wide with what sure looked like excitement. “Name it.”
“We don’t wait on that bedroom thing.” She pointed at the closed door in front of them. “We start that part right now.”
The downright decadent grin spread over his mouth. He looked ready to pounce as his arms tightened around her. “I like the way you think.”
She remembered the first time she asked and tried it again. “Then shut up and kiss me.”
He did and neither of them said anything for a very long time.
SEALed WITH A KISS (A Black Ops, Inc. story)
Cindy Gerard
Chapter 1
Luke Coulter was no poet. But as he lay on the private Palau beach, smelling of cocoa butter and sun, sipping something rum and fruity, and enjoying the hell out of watching his beautiful bride emerge from a gently rolling surf, it was all he could do to keep from bursting out in iambic pentameter.
Lord, thank you
Life is good
It’s turned out just
The way it should
Hokey. That’s it. No more rum for him.
“You going to lay there and be lazy all day, Doctorman?”
Val stood over him wearing a soft smile and an electric-blue string bikini. Water rivulets trickled down her magnificent, golden curves; salt water dripped from her long black hair and beaded on her thick lashes. With her ebony eyes and melting-pot heritage of Latino, Irish, African American and Cherokee, she looked like an exotic sea nymph, risen from the depths of Atlantis to entice him—like one of the handmaidens the goddess Persephone had sent to lure the Argonauts to their deaths with their bewitching siren songs.
Bewitching. Yeah. That was Val. Only she’d lured him back to life, not death. She still didn’t realize how close he’d been to the abyss when they’d met on that chance encounter in the Andes on a midnight train to nowhere. She thought he’d saved her life when he’d rescued her from assassins sent to kill her. On that level, yeah, he had saved her. But she still didn’t get that she’d saved more than his soul from sinking into the deep, into the dark and . . . Whoa. He wasn’t going back there again. Not today. Not here. Not with his woman.
He tipped up his sunglasses. “With a view like this every day, yep. I think I might get good and lazy.” He gave her a long, leisurely once-over. “And the scenery isn’t bad either,” he added with a grin that had her rolling her eyes.
And to think, he’d balked at the idea of making this trip when she’d brought it up two weeks ago . . .
“Palm trees, tropical beaches, sun and surf.” His new bride had spread an array of brochures featuring Palau over their dining room table. “What about paradise doesn’t appeal to you, darling?”
“Paradise, with you? Very appealing. Paradise with a full camera, production, and technical crew ogling you in a bikini? Not so much.”
Valentina—known to the world by one name like Cher or Beyonce—had been a hot ticket in the fashion industry for over a decade. And like fine wine, she had only improved with age. That’s why she was still a highly sought after model—and the number-one pick for the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
“So join me when the photo shoot is over,” she’d coaxed. “We’ll rent a house on a private island and stay on for a few days after they finish shooting. We can be Emmeline and Richard and swim naked in our very own Blue Lagoon.”
She’d settled onto his lap—a tactic that never failed to arrest him—and looped her arms around his neck. “Come on, Luke. I really want you to go with me. We’ll make it our honeymoon—the one we’ve never found time to schedule.”
She’d been right, of course. They’d been married two months, and if a mission for his boss, Nate Black, with his Black Ops., Inc. team hadn’t tromped all over their honeymoon plans, then one of her photo gigs had.
“We can go snorkeling,” she’d persisted with a temptress grin. “And you can scuba dive to your heart’s content.”
The woman knew how to cut straight to his Navy SEAL heart.
He’d pressed his forehead to hers. “Well, since you mentioned my favorite word—”
“Scuba?”
Smiling, he’d brushed a fall of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. Um, no. Nekked.”
So, now, here they were.
He breathed deep as the tropical breeze washed over him. Val had been right on all counts. Palau was paradise. It was also a diver’s dream. As a former SEAL, he’d scuba-dived and snorkeled as many reefs as his time had allowed. But the Republic of Palau had never made it to his ‘been there, done that’ list.
Five-hundred miles east of the Philippines in Micronesia, the Pacific island nation had long been his dream destination. He’d drooled over online photos of the psychedelic reefs, blue holes, dramatic drop-offs, World War II wrecks and over 1,200 species of fish. Yesterday, he’d joined the mantas when they’d congregated at the German Channel’s cleaning station; the day before, he’d gone swimming with the reef sharks as they surfed the currents at Blue Corner. And the day before that, he’d explored the Big Drop-off, the world’s best dive wall, according to National Geographic.
The only thing that would have made it perfect was if Val could have made the dives with him. He gave her a big A for effort but her issues with claustrophobia had proven to be too much for her. A sudden anger swept over him. The bastard who had kidnapped her when she was a little girl, then held her captive in a root cellar, could be damn glad the judge had ordered a life sentence because if he ever set foot outside that prison and Luke ran into him . . . well… he wasn’t going to think about that now, either. Or about the bleak look on Val’s face when she’d finally thrown in the towel after three valiant dive efforts.
What he was going to think about was now. And the way she looked all sun-kissed and wet. He really liked her wet.
“This was a great idea, babe,” he said as the swish of the turquoise blue waves on the
outer reef, the rustle of a soothing breeze swayed through the coconut palms, and the melodic cry of the gulls played in the background. “I could happily get used to being a beach bum.”
She spread a towel onto the golden sand beside him. Then she stretched out on her stomach, rested her cheek on her folded hands, and got comfy. “The job does have its perks.”
He rolled to his side, propped his head on his palm. “Yeah, plus I distinctly remember something about the word naked in conjunction with beach.” He toyed with the string on her bikini top.
She smiled, never opening her eyes. “And I distinctly remember that we fed that fantasy several times since we’ve been here. Time to start weaning you back to life in the real world. It’s our last day here, then—”
“Shh.” He leaned over her, pressed a kiss to the small of her back and tugged the string until it gave. “No more talk about the real world.”
With a gentle nudge, he rolled her to her back and moved over her, sliding his thigh over sun warmed, sweetly oiled skin then untied a couple more strings. “You are so beautiful.”
He leaned in and kissed her mouth, her throat, and felt a swell of longing when her body hummed to life with a simmering sexual heat. Moving slowly downward, he strafed her bare breast with the tip of his tongue then made the most of the sun and the sea and her sultry sighs.
Damn. He was a lucky SOB.
Chapter 2
Val was deliriously spent and dozing in the shade of the palm when a coconut plopped heavily on the sand between them, missing Luke’s head by inches.
“Incoming,” Luke growled, jerked to a sitting position and swiveled his head around until he spotted the culprit. “If I ever catch that damn monkey, I swear, I’m going to cold-cock him,” he muttered darkly.
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