“Our daughter,” Jack corrected her as he plopped down into the chair across from her. “Listen. I’m not trying to take over here. But I’ve been in the military. Strategy is what I do. We need a plan and we need to work together to get you both through this safely. I know you’re exhausted. All the more reason you need my help. You don’t have to do this by yourself this time. I just talked to my friend at the marshal’s office and he said—”
“Wait a minute!” Sam’s expression turned hostile. “You called the marshals on us already?”
Glory, seemingly picking up on her mother’s shift in mood, became fussy again, turning away from her bottle and wailing at the top of her little lungs.
“I didn’t call the marshals on you. Like I said, this guy’s my friend. We can trust him.” Jack did his best to keep his tone even and low, even as the argument with Sam grew more heated. Why was she arguing? He was only trying to help, and it wasn’t like she had a lot of other options at this point. “Zeke’s a good man. I’ve worked with him before. He won’t say anything, but I needed to know what was happening. He said that agent who killed the other was bribed by your father.”
Sam snorted, putting Glory over her shoulder again and bouncing her while rubbing her back to calm her down. “I could’ve told you that.”
She had a point. Still… “Could you have told me that security camera footage caught the whole thing? They know that guy is dirty, and they’re checking every other agent who has touched your case to make sure your dad didn’t get to anyone else. By keeping a channel open to my buddy, we’ll know when a team has been cleared, making it safe for you to go back into custody.”
She frowned, but after a moment, she nodded, accepting his explanation. Glory calmed again and Sam returned to feeding her the rest of the bottle.
Moderately convinced that peace had been restored, Jack continued. “The way I see it, we should stay here tonight. Get a good night’s sleep, get provisions ready, and decide where to go from here. I’ll need to make some calls anyway, to have someone take care of the farm for me while I’m gone. I’ve got animals that need to be fed and watered, and I don’t want someone coming in here and robbing the place while I’m gone.”
He scowled. His old fears about whether he was ready for this, whether he was still up for protecting them after a year away from combat resurfaced before he shoved them aside. Ready or not, here he was. “We’re partners in this, remember? And Glory’s my kid.” At her shuttered expression, he amended his statement. “I realize we barely know each other, and maybe some guys would be okay with walking away from their responsibilities, but I’m not one of them. I’m not sure how all this will work out yet, but I’m damn sure here for the ride, okay?”
A few tense seconds passed while they stared at each other across the table, then Sam finally gave a curt nod. “Okay.” She sighed and a bit of the tension in her shoulders relaxed. Glory now had her eyes closed as she sucked away on the bottle, the noises she made a faint rhythm in the night. “Let me put her down for the night, and then we can talk.”
“Good.” Jack pushed to his feet. “I’ll make up the guest room for you. And then I’m going to double-check the perimeter of the property and put some extra precautions in place before we bunk down for the night. Make sure the security cameras are all working and the SUV’s ready to go in case we need a fast getaway tonight. See you in a few.”
Nine
After burping and bathing Glory, Sam finally got the baby to sleep, then wandered back out to the kitchen. It was going on midnight now, but she was too wired too sleep. Plus, she was hungry. The last time she’d eaten had been when Jack had stopped at a drive-through burger place on the way home from Walmart last night.
Didn’t help she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the shooting at the rest stop or that same gun pointed right at her. A fresh jolt of terror ripped through her and she closed her eyes to keep it together. She needed something to do, something to keep her busy until Jack got back from his security checks. Back in Indiana, whenever she’d been nervous or stressed, she cooked.
Worked then, hopefully would work now. Plus, it would take care of two problems at once.
She walked over to the fridge and pulled the door open, hoping the place was better stocked than most bachelor pads she’d seen. Thankfully, it was. Lots of fresh veggies and fruit, chicken breasts, eggs, milk, cheese. Awesome. She began pulling out ingredients to make some pan-fried chicken.
As she prepared the chicken, then started chopping up onions and peppers, she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that Jack kept a well-stocked kitchen. After all, he was a farmer. And he was also different from any other man she’d ever met. Tough and strong and smart, but also kind and sweet when warranted. After her father’s world of alpha-assholes, a guy like Jack with brains and brawn who still managed to be decent and honorable was a welcome change. Maybe that’s why she’d never quite forgotten him or that scorching night they’d spent together. Molten warmth spread through her as she recalled his kisses and caresses and those low, feral groans of his as he drove them both to the edge of ecstasy…
Sam shook off those memories and pulled out a cast-iron skillet, pouring in some olive oil before dumping in the chopped chicken breasts to brown them. The delicious scent of roasting meat was just starting to fill the air when Jack walked back inside.
He blinked over at her from the living room. The place had an open concept with a clear view from one room to another. Sam stifled a grin at his surprised expression.
“You hungry?” she asked finally, to break the silence. “I’m making dinner.”
“I see that,” he said at last. A smile grew on his handsome face and he leaned across the breakfast bar and inhaled deep. “Smells awesome too. No one’s ever cooked for me except my mother. I can make a few things myself, but it always tastes better when someone else cooks.”
“Good.” She smiled at him over her shoulder, stirring the chopped onions into the pan. “Figured it’s the least I could do after you’ve taken in Glory and me for the night.”
Jack straightened. “I’m going to go get cleaned up, then I’ll set the table.”
Her smile widened into a grin as he walked away. This all felt so normal and nice, even if it was only temporary. Soon enough, she’d be back to her usual life of always looking out for the danger lurking in the shadows, but for tonight, they were safe. She’d enjoy it while she could.
By the time the food was done, Jack still hadn’t come back. She got out plates and silverware and put them on the table, then glanced up to see him sitting in the corner of the living room floor, puzzling over the instructions for a pack ’n play portable playard they’d bought at the superstore. Having set up a couple of them herself, she knew that building a space station would probably be less complicated.
After getting the table set, she walked over to where he was scowling at the plastic parts. “Dinner’s ready.”
“What?” He looked up from the instruction sheet. “Oh, I’m sorry. I got so wrapped up in this, I forgot to set the table. I’ll wash up the dishes afterward. How about that?”
“No worries.” She held out a hand to help him up, her skin tingling from their point of contact. “It’s not that big a deal since there’s only the two of us.”
He followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the table while she set out the bowl of chicken and veggies. “This looks amazing. Thanks again for making it.”
“You’re welcome. Now dig in. I’m starving, and we don’t want any leftovers, since we don’t know when you’ll be back to eat them.” At the mention of them going on the run again come dawn, her enthusiasm deflated. She’d love to have a life where she wasn’t on the run, where she didn’t have to be suspicious of every single person she met because she feared they might be in cahoots with her father. That’s why she was taking such an enormous risk to testify at his upcoming trial. She knew things about her father’s operation, had heard and seen things growing
up in his household, that no one else knew. Things that could put him behind bars for the rest of his life—setting her free at last. That’s what she was counting on anyway. She cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ear as he dug into the food. “And thank you for all this. I’m sure it’s a huge inconvenience and I really appreciate you putting yourself out there for us like that. This is twice now you’ve put your life on the line for me and I owe you more than I can ever repay.”
Jack watched her, silently chewing for a moment, before giving her a curt nod of acknowledgement.
A moment passed between them—not attraction, per se, but connection. They understood each other, or at least the situation they were in, and they had a certain level of trust.
“So,” she said, after devouring several bites of chicken. The warm, salty, seasoned meat hit the spot and the crunchy veggies were just the right complement. “What’s the plan for the morning?”
“Welp, I’d say we need to lay low for a couple of days. Let my buddy at the marshal’s office in Omaha get things sorted out on their end. Once he contacts me again, then we’ll have a better idea of how to proceed from there. Until then, my cousin has a hunting cabin about an hour from here we can use. After dinner, we can pack up food and water and stuff for Glory, then I’ll get everything loaded and ready to go in the SUV. You can get a couple hours of sleep.”
“What about you?” she asked around a bite of bell pepper. “Don’t you need sleep?”
“I’m an ex-SEAL,” he said, snorted. “We’re trained to get by on as little sleep as possible. And I’m a guy. We can do that sort of stuff.”
Sam managed not to roll her eyes, barely. Okay, maybe he wasn’t as different from her father’s cocky alphas as she’d thought. “Whatever. There’s no one in the world trained to get by on less sleep than a new mom. If anyone’s capable around here, it’s me.”
Jack narrowed his gaze on her a moment, then grinned. “True. Is that a challenge, Ms. Engel?”
“Do you want it to be?” she said, and just like that, they were back to that long night a year prior, the air sizzling between them with lust and longing, their flirty banter filling the air.
This time, he was the one coughing and looking away, a slight blush staining his high cheekbones. “Right. I’ll just, uh, start cleaning up then.”
He took his empty plate to the sink and she studied his broad, muscled back. Coward. She smiled to herself as she finished her last few bites of food. Man, he was still one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen—all long legs and lithe, muscled grace. And that butt of his, taut and tight and cupped perfectly in those faded jeans. She wasn’t usually the sex kitten type, but Jack seemed to bring it out in her. And it had been so long, too long since she’d taken a man to bed. In fact, the last time had been that night in Costa Rica. Yikes, over a year without sex was far too long.
As if sensing her lingering gaze on him, Jack hazarded a look back at her over his shoulder, then glanced away again fast. But not before she caught an answering glimmer of heat in his gray eyes.
Yep. If things were different and they weren’t about to go on the run, she might consider another night in his arms. As it was, she had enough to think about right now without her libido getting in the way. With a sigh, she stood and carried her dishes over to where he stood at the sink. Sam went to pick up a dish towel to dry, but Jack shook his head.
“Go take a shower. Relax a bit. I got this,” he said.
Sam took him up on the offer. If someone cooking for him was rare, then someone volunteering to take over chores for her was even rarer. Even if he was only doing all of this out of some misplaced sense of obligation where Glory was concerned, she still appreciated it.
“Okay. If you’re sure, I could use a shower,” she said as she backed away toward the hall.
“Yep. Use the bathroom in my master suite, it’s nicer. There’s clean towels in the cabinet beside the walk-in shower and my robe’s on the back of the door, in case you need something to wrap up in until you can get your new clothes ready.”
“Cool. Thanks.” Walking away, she first checked in on Glory, who was still sleeping away, before heading to the end of the hall and the gorgeous bedroom there. All exposed pine beams and polished hardwood floors, it was definitely a guy’s space, but a beautifully done one, all the same. Even the large wooden four-poster, king-sized bed in the center of the room and the thick Persian rug beneath it screamed masculine luxury. Her girly-parts gave a warm squeeze before she could stop them, imagining her and Jack in that bed, doing all sorts of wonderful naughty things to each other. Cheeks flaming, she hurried into the attached bathroom and quickly stripped before turning on the water in the huge stone shower and letting it heat up. From the outside, the house looked like a typical old ranch two-story, but inside, Jack had updated it with all the latest amenities. She’d never been more grateful in her life.
Sam stepped under the steamy spray and scrubbed down fast before rinsing off, aware that Glory could awaken at any time. She did take the time to wash her hair and condition it too, using the stuff Jack had that smelled like coconut and citrus, then stepped out and toweled off before sliding into the thick terry cloth robe hanging on the back of the door. It felt like being embraced in Jack’s strong, warm arms. She inhaled deep and caught the scent of his aftershave—sandalwood and spice.
After towel-drying her hair, then running her fingers through the messy waves, she folded her clothes, then padded back down the hall barefoot, carrying them to the living room where the bags of the clothes she’d picked up at Walmart were stashed.
The robe was more like a comforter on her and she had to keep one hand on the front to make sure it stayed closed, but it was warm, and she was thankful for it all the same. Jack was there when she returned, packing up food from the kitchen into a cardboard box. There was a Styrofoam cooler on the counter, as well, that he’d bought at the superstore along with a bag of ice. She set her old clothes on the couch then dug out fresh things from one of her bags before heading to the guest room where Glory was sleeping to change into a pair of blue flannel pajama pants with poodles on them, a blue thermal knit Henley, blue socks and slippers. She checked on her daughter before returning to help Jack.
By the time she got back to the living room though, he was nearly done. Maybe there was something to be said for his ex-SEAL skills after all. “What can I help with?”
“Nothing really.” Jack stood near the door, hands on his narrow hips. “Maybe make sure you’ve got what you need in the diaper bag and your things ready before I stock the rest in the SUV for later?”
“Sure.” She did as he asked, then helped him carry the rest of the bags out to the car. Once everything was packed, he locked the vehicle, then turned to her.
“That’s it, then. We’re all set to go.” Pale moonlight shone down, highlighting the chiseled planes of his face, and her heart tripped. He was so gorgeous. Even all these months later, she still remembered that. Gorgeous and gentle and he smelled so good… His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips then back again, leaving a trail of tingling want in their wake.
He dipped his head, she rose on tiptoes to meet him, and then boom. They were kissing again and it was every bit as fantastic as Sam remembered. His lips were soft and his tongue tasted of spice from the peppers and a hint of sugar from the soda he’d been drinking. She’d felt so isolated and lonely the past fifteen months, away from everyone and everything she knew, dealing with pregnancy and then caring for Glory all alone. This connection with Jack now meant the world to her, even if it was only temporary.
Unable to resist, Sam pressed closer, reaching up to twine her fingers through his silky hair, one ear still listening for any sound from Glory’s direction. Jack groaned low and pulled her tight against him, allowing her to feel the full extent of his arousal. She felt dizzy and woozy with desire.
She wanted Jack, all of him. If only for one more night.
Ten
It
took Jack’s mind a moment to catch up with the rest of his body. He was kissing Sam, the woman he’d dreamed and fantasized about for over a year. Kissing her. And yeah, it was most likely a mistake. No. Rewind. Was a colossal mistake. He was helping her to stay safe, to get out of town, to escape her father’s clutches. He shouldn’t be thinking about stripping her bare and taking her right there up against the side of the house. And yet when she moaned and slid her fingers into his hair like that, it seemed that was the only thought in his head.
His blood pounded and his body pulsated with need for her. So much so that when she stiffened against him and pushed back, he was stunned for a second.
“Someone’s coming,” she whispered.
Jack blinked at her, getting lost in her wide dark eyes and soft lips illuminated in the pale moonlight, before slowly coming back to himself. As his raging pulse calmed, the sound of an approaching vehicle made him tense. Shit. He’d been so distracted by what they were doing that he hadn’t even heard it. Cursing inwardly, he set Sam aside and glanced back to where he’d set up his early detection warnings along the fence line bisecting the long gravel drive up to his home. Sure enough, the sound of snapping wires and rattling cans soon followed. He’d made sure the gate was locked earlier, so whoever was heading to his doorstep had either run the damned thing down or picked the lock. Either way, it wasn’t a good sign.
Mind snapping into SEAL mode now, he glanced over at Sam. “Go inside and get Glory. Hurry.”
Thankfully, she didn’t question him, just did as he said.
Once she disappeared, he refocused on the approaching vehicle. No headlights, another bad sign.
With the moonlight, he was able to discern the shape of a sedan slowly heading toward the house. His friend in the marshal’s office still hadn’t called back, so Jack could only assume the worst.
The Protective SEAL Page 6