by Susan Stoker
“Don’t be,” Midas said. “It reflects on him, not you.”
“But I’ve been talking him up for weeks,” she fretted.
“Doesn’t matter. People aren’t always how they seem. You mostly knew him through email, Lex. And a few phone conversations don’t always show someone’s true colors.”
“I know, but still. And I appreciate you not getting into it about whether or not his brother should’ve gone back to Galkayo or straight to the ship.”
“I still believe he was wrong. He used his money and influence and got the government to approve taking Dagmar to the hospital, but it was the wrong decision. I’m not saying he wouldn’t have still died, because from what I understand, he was in bad shape, but I wasn’t about to tell a grieving brother that. What we know for certain is that if we’d gone straight to the ship, the kidnappers wouldn’t have had a second chance to try to get their hands on either of you.”
Lexie nodded. Midas’s response just proved what a good man he was. He could’ve defended his actions that day, made it clear that it was Magnus’s insistence on his brother being seen by his doctor that had most likely resulted in his death. But he hadn’t.
“Come on. Enough work talk for both of us. I have plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
“You’ll see.”
“Gah. I’m dying of curiosity,” Lexie complained.
“All will be revealed soon,” Midas said mysteriously.
Lexie said goodbye to Natalie and the other employees who were there, then she and Midas headed out the door. As they walked toward the parking garage, Lexie almost stopped when she saw Theo out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting on a bench across the street from the entrance to Food For All.
“Ignore him,” Midas said mildly.
Lexie nodded. She’d planned to. Theo wasn’t doing anything threatening. He was just sitting there. But she couldn’t help the shiver as she walked with Midas to his car.
Lexie grinned as she watched Midas devour the shrimp taco he’d bought from a truck parked along the side of the road. She’d already eaten one and was about to dig into her second. Midas had said that the North Shore had the best food trucks, and nothing beat Giovanni’s. He was right as far as she was concerned.
He’d already promised they’d stop at the Dole Plantation so she could get a dole whip on the way back to his place, but first he had another surprise for her. They were at Waimea Bay, one of the most famous and popular surf spots on the North Shore. At the moment it wasn’t crowded, which Midas said was the only reason they were there. During competitions, even getting to the North Shore was almost impossible. Apparently, the traffic was horrendous, bumper to bumper on the two-lane road as people came to watch the athletes take on the huge waves.
Today, the sea was relatively calm and only a few diehard surfers were out in the bay. But that didn’t matter to Lexie. She was thrilled to be there.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man approaching from their right.
Midas turned to her. “Baker didn’t promise he’d be here, but I hoped he’d be intrigued enough to meet you that he’d show.”
“Holy crap,” she breathed as she stared at the man coming toward them. He’d just come from the ocean and was wearing a wet suit that didn’t hide any of his muscles. He was exactly as Elodie had described. Tall. Black hair—liberally speckled with gray—that fell over his forehead, jade green eyes that seemed to be able to see right through her. Definitely a silver fox…one with an incredibly dangerous aura around him.
Midas stood and held out his hand as he nodded at the older man. “Baker. Good to see you.”
“Same,” Baker said, then turned toward her. “And you’re Lexie.”
“I am,” she said as she stood. She wiped her hand nervously on her shirt, then held it out. “It’s good to meet you. Elodie has nothing but good things to say about you.”
Baker took her hand and shook it, but didn’t let go right away. He just stared at her for a long moment.
“Baker,” Midas warned.
He grinned and let go of her hand. “Sorry. I’m just amazed at all that hair.”
Lexie blushed, glaring at Midas. “I told you I needed a hair tie.” Then she turned back to Baker. “We came up here straight from my work. Midas didn’t tell me where we were going, and if I knew we’d be coming this far in his convertible, I would’ve insisted he stop so I could find something to tie my hair back. It’s not usually this crazy.”
“Yes, it is,” Midas said with a laugh.
“Shut up,” Lexie hissed quietly.
“Oh, hey,” Baker said, turning to Midas. “I brought Elodie’s dish for you to bring back to her. That apple crumble she made was amazing. Want to run and grab it from my car?”
“You just want to talk to Lexie without me around, don’t you?” Midas asked.
Baker shrugged.
“Fine. But don’t be an asshole,” Midas said.
Baker unzipped a tiny pocket on his wet suit and pulled out a single key on a keyring and lobbed it to Midas. He caught it, then leaned over and kissed Lexie briefly before heading for the parking lot.
“I’m at the end,” Baker called out.
“Figures!” Midas yelled back.
Lexie didn’t know what this man could possibly want to talk to her about, but she had to admit she was curious.
Baker straddled the bench of the picnic table where she and Midas had been sitting. Taking his lead, she sat back down as well.
Baker rested an elbow on the table and stared at her for a moment before saying, “You look different than what I expected.”
It was an odd way to start a conversation, but Lexie went with it. “How did you think I’d look?”
“I’m not sure. I mean, after watching the videos, I figured you’d clean up well, but you’re not quite as…sturdy as I’d expected.”
Lexie had no idea what that meant, so she merely shrugged.
“So, you and Midas are dating,” he said.
Lexie nodded.
“And you knew each other in high school.”
“Yeah. I moved to Portland my senior year,” Lexie confirmed.
“It shouldn’t come as any big surprise that I looked into you and your situation,” Baker said.
Lexie stared at him, again not sure what to say.
“You were a shitty student, but I suppose undiagnosed dyslexia would do that to anyone.”
“Wow, how did you know that?” Lexie asked, not ashamed of her disability in the least. She’d actually been relieved when she’d finally been diagnosed.
“It was pretty damn obvious, looking at your record,” Baker explained. “You must’ve had some terrible teachers for none of them to even suggest it was a possibility. Anyway, so…now you’re with Midas…I guess you feel pretty lucky.”
Lexie nodded. She did feel that way.
“Big bad Navy SEAL rescued you from the desert, you came here to Hawaii, and he dotes on you now. You probably thought you were worthless, like your dad always claimed, huh? So someone as good-looking and tough as Midas taking a shine to you had to have been pretty heady.”
Lexie’s brow furrowed and she shook her head. “No. I mean, I’m thrilled to be with Midas, but that’s not—”
“He’s paid well, has a good job, but it’s not all sunshine and roses. There’s plenty of shit to go with his poster-boy good looks.”
Okay, Lexie was really getting irritated now. She thought this guy was supposed to be Midas’s friend. And the second he’d left, the guy turned on her.
“You feel as if all your dreams have come true, Lex? What’re you gonna do if he comes back from a mission that went south? And trust me, eventually, one will turn bad. What if he comes home with a leg missing? Or an arm? Or all his limbs? You gonna think you’re lucky then? He could get a TBI…a traumatic brain injury…and not be the same man you know today. It’s hard work being with a SEAL. He might’ve rescued you, and you might be proud to have
him on your arm now, but will you feel so lucky if he’s been burned over ninety percent of his body?”
“Why are you being so cruel?” she asked.
“You think this is cruel?” Baker asked. “It’s not. It’s called real life. I’m trying to find out how tough you are. If you can hack being with him.”
“I can,” Lexie said between clenched teeth.
Baker raised a brow, clearly showing his skepticism.
That was it, Lexie was done. Elodie might like this asshole, but she definitely did not. “You’re a real jerk,” she said quietly. “Yes, I was amazed that Midas was interested in me, but that didn’t last long. I’m also stronger than you think. If Midas was hurt, I’d one hundred percent stick by him. That’s what love is. And I love him, and he loves me.
“The question isn’t whether I’m good enough for him. I am. I have no doubt about that. I’ve come a long way from the outcast teenager you obviously still think I am. I lasted three months in the desert after being kidnapped without losing my mind, I’ve lived in more dangerous places in my lifetime than you probably have, and I’m a damn good person. Maybe you should be asking Midas if he’s good enough for me,” Lexie bit out.
Surprisingly, Baker smiled. It transformed his face from almost scary to…almost friendly.
“Exactly,” he said with a nod. “And for the record, I seriously doubt that he is. As I said, being with a SEAL, with any soldier or sailor, isn’t easy. Their partners need to be independent, not the type who freak out if the smallest thing—hell, the biggest thing—goes wrong while they’re deployed. And most of all, Midas needs someone who he knows without a doubt will be there when he gets home, and who will stick by his side no matter what.”
Lexie frowned. “So you were…what…testing me?”
“Yup,” Baker said without embarrassment or remorse.
“So if I’d burst into tears or something, I would’ve failed your test?”
Baker shrugged.
“You’re kind of an asshole,” Lexie commented.
“Yup.”
“But… I can’t fault you for wanting to look out for Midas.”
“Which is something a woman with high self-esteem would say,” Baker said with a laugh. “And so you know… I’m impressed with your work at Food For All. You have lived in some shitty places, but you seem to make friends everywhere you go. And by the way, Astur and Yuusuf cried when they learned about the scholarships their children were receiving from you and Midas.”
Lexie’s eyes widened. “You talked to them?”
“Well, not directly, but I have it on good authority that Shermake will definitely be taking you guys up on your generous offer. As will the younger kids.”
Lexie wasn’t sure how she’d gone from being so irritated to wanting to cry, but she blinked back her tears. She studied the man sitting next to her.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re kind of scary.”
He smiled.
“That wasn’t a compliment.” She felt compelled to inform him.
His grin widened.
“I’m back,” Midas said. “I put the dish in my car.”
Lexie jumped in surprise. She hadn’t seen or heard him approach.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Lexie noted that Baker didn’t seem startled in the least. The man was definitely spooky. But damned if she didn’t like him.
“You good?” Midas asked Lexie.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” she said a little too enthusiastically.
Midas narrowed his eyes and turned to glare at Baker.
“We had a nice chat,” Baker said as he stood. “She’s feisty. Kind of like that hair of hers.”
Lexie also stood, pleased when Midas immediately draped his arm around her shoulders. “Would you stop commenting on my out-of-control hair,” she grumbled. “You’re gonna give me a complex.”
“Naw. You’ve got too much confidence for that,” Baker said.
It was true. Lexie didn’t give a shit if others didn’t like her hair. Or her. She’d grown out of the need to be liked by everyone she met. And Baker made her realize that yes, Midas was lucky to have her as a girlfriend. She was loyal, would never cheat on him, would stick by his side no matter what, and she might not be that good of a cook, would never make a ton of money, but she was a damn good person. She smiled at Baker.
He nodded at her in return. Even though he’d been a jerk, Lexie knew he’d done it for his friend’s benefit.
“You headed out to surf again?” Midas asked.
Baker looked out at the sea for a moment, then shrugged. “Haven’t decided.”
“Be careful if you do,” Lexie said.
Baker looked amused. “You worried about me?” he asked.
“I’m worried about everyone. You know, because of sharks, rip currents, rogue waves…”
“Sounds like someone else I know,” Baker muttered.
Lexie had no idea who he was talking about, but she let it go when he turned to Midas and they began talking about people she didn’t know. She assumed they were other SEALs, or at least people Midas worked with on the Naval base.
Several minutes went by before Midas said, “Thanks for coming to meet us today.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Baker said. “Be careful out there,” he warned.
“Always.”
“Talk to you soon,” Baker said with a chin lift as he headed for the parking lot. A brightly colored VW van had just pulled in, and he walked right toward it. A petite dark haired woman was behind the wheel.
“What did he say?” Midas asked, pulling her attention from Baker and the woman in the stereotypical Hawaiian surfer van.
“Nothing.”
Midas cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Fine. He let me know he’d looked into my background and wanted to make sure I was good enough for you.”
“Seriously? Fucker,” Midas said, looking like he was going to go after Baker.
Lexie caught his arm and tugged. She snuggled into his chest and looked up at him. “You didn’t ask me what I said in return,” she said.
“What did you say?” Midas dutifully asked.
“I told him I was more than good enough for you.”
“Yes, you are,” Midas agreed. “Too good.”
Lexie grinned. “How about we say we’re perfect for each other?”
“I can live with that. You done with your tacos?”
“Hands off my food,” she warned. “I love you, but not enough to give up my tacos.”
He chuckled. “How about you bring it with you and finish in the car? If we’re gonna stop at the Dole Plantation and get you an ice cream, we had better get going. Besides, I have a hankering to sit on the deck and just relax tonight.”
“That sounds perfect,” Lexie said.
They packed up their food and headed for his convertible. Lexie smiled and waved at Baker and the woman he was talking to. The woman waved back with a friendly smile, and yelled, “Aloha!”
“Aloha!” Lexie called back.
“Come on,” Midas said, urging her on.
“What?” Lexie asked.
“You’re thinking about going over there, finding out her name, how she knows Baker, and what’s going on between them.”
She grinned. “Okay, I was thinking about doing that. I mean, did you see the way Baker’s expression changed when he saw her pull up?”
“Yup. But I’m not going there. And neither are you.”
“But he was all fired up about making sure I was a good match for you, seems only fair I have that woman’s back when it comes to him.”
“Nope,” Midas said, putting a hand in the back of her hair and holding on tightly, making sure she met his eyes. He wrapped his other arm around her back and pulled her against him. “He can take care of himself.”
“But can she?”
“Baker wouldn’t be with a woman who couldn’t,” Midas said.
And he sounded one hundred percent sure of that. Then he palmed her ass and tucked her into the vee of his legs, and the feel of his cock against her stomach made Lexie forget all about Baker, the woman, the van, tacos, and even Dole whips. She wanted this man with every fiber of her being. Even the hold on her hair took on new meaning, making her nipples tighten under her shirt.
“Maybe we can skip the ice cream,” she said breathlessly.
She watched as Midas’s eyes dilated.
“It’ll mean we can get home faster.”
“I’m all for that,” Midas said. Then he dipped his head and kissed her. Long, slowly, and so damn passionately, Lexie was a pile of mush when he finally pulled back.
He opened the door for her and got her settled in the seat before jogging around to the driver’s side. Turning to her, he smiled, bringing up a hand to smooth a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I fucking love your hair. And you.”
“I love you too. Now drive.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Midas said with a smile as he backed the car out of the parking spot and headed for his house.
Chapter Eighteen
Lexie leaned over and kissed Midas before she climbed out of the car the next morning. She was a bit sore from his overexuberant lovemaking the night before, but she wasn’t going to complain. Nope. She’d been a bit rough herself. There was something about Midas that made all her inhibitions disappear.
“Have a good day,” he told her.
Lexie rolled her eyes. “You know I’m gonna see you in a bit when you bring me my coffee,” she told him. It had become their routine. He dropped her off at Food For All so she could open the building and get coffee started. Then he’d go and pick up her sugary brew and bring it back, giving them both an excuse to see each other once more before they started their days.
Midas simply smirked.
Truth be told, Lexie loved their teasing banter. “Right. Have a good day, honey. I’ll talk to you later.”
He smiled as she headed for the front doors of Food For All. They’d talked about her being there so early, and by herself, yesterday on the way home from the North Shore. After what had happened two days ago, when she’d walked home with Magnus, and after seeing Theo lurking in the shadows near her building, she’d agreed that she would talk to Natalie about having one of the part-timers come in half an hour earlier so she’d never be in the building by herself. Safety in numbers and all that.