RULES OF LOVE (A Navy SEALs Romance)

by Bella Grant

  “I told you, it’s already taken care of—well, except that hole you’re supposed to be fixing.” She strode out of the room, calling back, “I don’t hear any hammering!”

  Beau set his tools down and, grumbling, marched to her room to confront her about going behind his back like this, but when he got to the doorway, his mouth clamped shut. Naomi was humming softly, those damn hips of hers swaying as she sorted through files of some sort.

  “Can I help you with something?” she asked him without looking up. “Do you need a hammer, or are you just going to use your fist? You can borrow mine if yours doesn’t hit hard enough.” Her lips twitched for a second, but no smile followed.

  He folded his arms and leaned in the doorway thinking, I’m just enjoying the show, but said, “You used to dance, didn’t you?”

  Naomi stopped for just a second to stare at him, pushing her tongue behind her upper lip like she did when he annoyed her. “A bit.”

  “You were pretty good back then, weren’t you?”

  She nodded. “I was, ‘til I got this bum leg. Can’t do much with it anymore, you know.”

  Beau lifted an eyebrow and walked over to her. He took the papers from her and held out his hands to her, waiting patiently to see if she would accept his offer to dance.

  “What are you doing? I can’t dance, I told you.”

  What are you doing? Walk away, just walk away right now. But he didn’t. He waited to see if she would pull away as he settled his hand at her back and gently lifted her until her feet rested on his. His other hand took hers, steadying her.

  “Really?” She laughed as she glanced down at her feet on his. “I don’t want to break your toes.”

  “You won’t,” he said quietly, his eyes on hers as he moved.

  He wanted to do things to this woman, but he tried to keep his thoughts away from scenes of him helping her undress slowly before he carried her to her bed and laid her on it. Images of him driving her to cry out his name and forget about the man who’d hurt her.

  Beau hummed as he spun them slowly around the room, Naomi’s feet on his and him holding her weight so she wouldn’t feel any pain in her leg. She grinned at his offbeat tune and lost it when he dipped her to the floor, pulling her back up into a spin. They rocked back and forth to his hummed version of some 1940’s serenade.

  “How very romantic of you,” Naomi teased, and for a moment, she leaned into his touch.

  The dangerous thoughts moved in again, and Beau’s hand pressed against her back, holding her closer. He waited for her to resist, but she didn’t. He breathed in her scent, closing his eyes on the subtle vanilla and citrus.

  “What are you thinking about?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Wondering what this would be like if we met years ago,” she said, words filled with bitterness. He leaned back in surprise at her answer. “You?”

  They stopped swaying, her cold gaze locked onto his, and without thinking, he lowered his head and let his lips brush against hers. Beau waited to get punched as Naomi’s body stiffened in his arms, but she pressed her lips against his in return. The kiss was soft, unsure. Tension radiated from her, but there was more beneath it. Heat, an intense longing. The same responses he felt as his lips moved against hers. His hands moved to those hips he’d been dying to hold, and just when he thought they were making progress, her entire body became rigid. She staggered backwards off his feet.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he reached out to steady her.

  Naomi moved out of his reach and held up her hand. “Just stay there, please.”

  What the hell did I just do?

  “Naomi? Are you alright?”

  She nodded once but didn’t meet his eyes. “I’m fine… I’ll be fine.” She glanced at him then quickly away, but in that one second, he saw fear in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, it was me. I shouldn’t have done that.” Beau rubbed a hand over his face, more aggravated with himself when she didn’t say anything else. That was a smart move. Now, you’re just gonna drive her away completely. Way to go, champ.

  Her phone rang, and she grabbed it from her back pocket. “I have to take this,” she said, barely loudly enough for him to hear. She turned her back on him and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her.

  Beau screwed up, and he couldn’t fix it. Whoever hurt Naomi made sure it had stuck. Never mind an electric wheelchair. He was going to rip the guy apart with his bare hands if he ever learned his name.

  Beau returned to the bedroom and hauled the rest of the tools up into the crawlspace in the other room. He set to work, mentally yelling at himself the entire time to stop thinking of Naomi Veri as the sexiest woman he’d ever kissed but rather as just another civilian who needed his protection.

  One hour later, nothing had changed. Beau was in trouble.

  ***

  “You are a lifesaver,” Eddie whispered to Jackie when she answered her phone.

  “Oh, really. So I take it you and the macho man are still not getting along?”

  “Wouldn’t say that. The damn man just kissed me.”

  Silence. Jackie was never this quiet, and Eddie thought she lost the connection until her friend came back on the line. “He kissed you? Is he still alive or do you need help burying the body?”

  “It didn’t last too long,” she said, regretting the moment she pulled back. Everything felt fine—the building heat and the throbbing need—until his hands touched her hips, hips that had once been held by another man, and she’d lost it.

  “You can tell me all about it, but I need you to do me a favor.”

  “And that would be what?”

  “Open your front gate so I can get in.” Jackie hung up the phone as Eddie chuckled.

  When she reached the front entry, she pushed a call button, opening the front gate for her friend. Eddie walked out the front door just in time to see Jackie and Gareth’s blue Mustang pull up the drive, the latter being Jackie’s fiancé. The passenger door flew open and Jackie stepped out, rushing to give Eddie a hug.

  “Good to see you haven’t killed yourself with that cane yet… or anyone else, for that matter,” Jackie teased, pulling away from Eddie.

  Eddie shrugged and muttered something about it never being too late as she eyed her friend. Jackie looked almost the same as the last time she’d seen her five months ago. Her skin was chocolate-brown and her eyes still overflowed with sweetness, but her hair was longer, curlier, and with red-blonde highlights in it.

  “What, may I ask, did you do to your lovely hair?” Eddie asked, making a face at the chunk she picked up. “You did this to yourself, didn’t you?”

  “Oh, shut up. He likes it, and that’s all that matters,” she said, motioning towards the six-foot-plus man who got out of the driver’s side.

  Gareth walked around the front of the car and picked Eddie up in a bear hug. “Nice to see you’re still alive,” she said.

  Gareth set her down and let out his booming laugh. He popped open the trunk to get their luggage. “There’ve been a few close calls with all this damn wedding shit going on.” He grabbed two duffels and walked towards the house, yelling back over his shoulder, “Where am I supposed to put these?”

  “The first door to the left on the second floor. Fixed up a guest room just for the two of you.”

  Jackie linked arms with Eddie, and they strode into the house. “So, where’s this new macho G.I. Joe of yours?”

  “Upstairs fixing that roof that keeps leaking.”

  Jackie’s eyebrows shot up and her jaw about dropped when Eddie added that he had washed the dishes the other night. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and yelled up, “Gareth! Why can’t you fix our roof and wash our dishes, huh?”

  Gareth came down the stairs, pretending to think seriously. “Well, our roof isn’t leaking last time I checked, and neither of us are ever home to have dirty dishes. That answer your question?” Gareth leaned in
and kissed Jackie, wrapping her up in a hug.

  Eddie strolled into the kitchen. “You two make me sick.”

  Jackie came up behind her, whispering in her ear. “Get a call from Reinhart?”

  “Yeah. Not good, either. I’ll tell you later.”

  Hammering echoed through the house as Beau continued with the repairs. “How long has that poor man been up there?” Jackie asked curiously, leaning against the counter.

  “Not too long, but let him keep working. Keeps him from invading my thoughts. Why don’t we go out back and talk? Gareth, make yourself at home.”

  Gareth, also part of their cover team and here as backup with his fiancé, saluted Eddie before raiding the fridge for a beer and some leftover pasta while Jackie and Eddie walked towards the garden paths.

  They chatted about normal things, the things two best friends should talk about before the topic of their current mission finally came up after Jackie finished describing her last mission—tailing a possible arms dealer moving into southern Europe.

  “We were in Rome the whole time, but the man’s in custody. Team moved in late last night and seized him and his store. Damn guy had rocket launchers, for God’s sake. I was just happy we were able to get out here so fast to help you out, amongst other things.”

  “We really can ignore my birthday. I’m okay with that. There’s a bit going on here that we need to take care of.”

  Jackie eyed her. “If I told Beau it was your birthday, do you really think he wouldn’t let you have one night of fun?”

  “Except we can’t have fun because we have to protect him.”

  “And here, I thought you would enjoy playing civilian.”

  “Hate it with a passion. I’d be of more use if I could stick to what I’m good at instead of playing the helpless victim.”

  “We’ll do what we can to help, but my man and I can only stay a few nights. We’re being put up in a hotel. Reinhart has to brief us on another mission.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got a lot going on,” Eddie said enviously, thinking of what she could be doing if her knee wasn’t practically useless. She’d been damn good out in the field, and now, she was regulated to babysitting the mark.

  “Yeah, you just got lucky with that leg of yours, kid.”

  “Trust me, I’d rather have twenty missions at a time than be forced to walk with a cane. Could go without the pain, too.”

  Jackie halted the conversation, asking sternly, “You’ve been taking your meds again, right?”

  “Don’t have a shit fit. The damn Navy knows about it now. Practically shoved one down my throat this morning.”

  “Good! It’s about time someone got on your case about all the crap you’re not doing. How about those nightmares you told me were gone? And that kiss?”

  Eddie cringed. “I’d rather not talk about the nightmares I’m not having.”

  “How bad are they?” Eddie avoided Jackie’s eyes. “You better tell me, or we’re going to be out here for a while.”

  “Fine! Apparently, I wake up screaming.”

  “You what? And you didn’t call me because?”

  “I didn’t want you worrying. I already have Beau freaking out every other second of the bloody day. He keeps asking me about my past, why I… why I flinch when certain people try to touch me. And he’s beginning to realize it has something to do with a man. Especially after he kissed me.”

  “What were you two doing that he kissed you?”

  Eddie’s mind drifted back to that brief moment of happiness in a world where she saw nightmares everywhere. “Dancing. It was as if the accident never happened, and he held me, he kissed me… And then I freaked out and ended it.”

  Jackie sighed, pulling her friend along, and Eddie knew exactly what was going through her mind. It was so long ago, but for Eddie, it still seemed like yesterday. They came around a bend in the path and saw Shane and Gareth sharing beers out on the back patio as if there wasn’t someone on their way to kill their mark. That’s what happened when you were on the job too long. One death threat was nothing to get excited about anymore.

  “Maybe, for once in your life, stop being so stubborn. You don’t need to prove yourself to anybody anymore. Okay? If he wants to kiss you, let the man kiss you. Maybe it’ll knock some sense back into that head of yours and chase the other asshole out for good.” Eddie nodded, and they hugged. “You’ve been through a lot. It’ll be a big step if you can talk to someone—anyone—about everything that happened.”

  Except I can’t because I’m not being me around him.

  Eddie put a smile on her face. She gripped her cane and walked into the kitchen with the rest of the gang following her. On the counter was an array of sandwiches and salads that she hadn’t put together. She looked accusingly at Shane, who shrugged as he fixed himself a plate. She frowned at the bags under his eyes. Whatever he was up to was not treating him well.

  The hammering upstairs reminded her that Beau hadn’t eaten all day. She followed the noise of construction and cursing into the bedroom. Leaning in the doorway, she watched his lower half twist and turn as he attempted to do whatever he was doing up there. A loud bang echoed followed by a stream of curses, making her struggle to laugh quietly. He stepped down the ladder, favoring his right hand. Mid-curse, he turned and Naomi waved at him. He closed his mouth quickly.

  “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Are you alright?” She pointed to his hand.

  He shrugged. “I’ve had worse. Is something wrong?”

  “Oh no, I was just coming to kidnap you and force you to eat some food.” He opened his mouth to protest, but Naomi grabbed his left hand, making him flinch slightly in pain. “You don’t come, I’ll squeeze your hand and hurt it even more.”

  “I’m not hurt,” Beau muttered as she dragged him out of the room and down to the kitchen.

  She saw his surprise when he heard new voices in the house. No one was at the table except Shane, Jackie and Gareth. The latter stood, raising his hand to shake Beau’s and gripping it hard, a warning in his eye that caused Jackie to roll hers.

  “I hear you’re the new handyman around here.” Beau nodded, glancing at Eddie, who smiled. “Don’t worry, we know what’s going on—or at least what these damn agents will tell us.”

  Eddie saw Beau’s jaw tighten until Shane told him they were clean.

  “I’m Gareth, and this is my soon-to-be, pain-in-the-ass wife, Jackie,” he said sarcastically, pointing to Jackie, who glared at him.

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Beau said politely. “I’m surprised you were cleared to be here.”

  Eddie bit her tongue and looked at Shane. He coughed and shrugged. “Naomi threw a fit if she was going to have to be away from everyone she knew on her birthday.”

  “Birthday? That’s what this is about?”

  Eddie could’ve smacked Shane, but she restrained herself as Beau looked at her, one brow raised in question. “What?”

  “I didn’t say a word. What exactly is happening on this birthday?”

  “Nothing because I haven’t agreed to anything. Now shut up, sit down, and eat.” Eddie shoved him into a chair and slid a plate full of salad and two sandwiches his way. “You are not to get up from this table until all that food is gone or someone tries to kill me.”

  “And what happens if I do?” Beau asked, laughing.

  “I’ll punch you harder and lower.” She pointed to his plate, glaring at him before walking away.

  “Too late for that,” he muttered.

  Eddie hesitated at his words but kept going. She stayed with Jackie at the counter, talking about the wedding and other things that really didn’t matter to either of them but which were necessary to keep up appearances. She tried to look anywhere but at Beau as he sat with the guys. She could picture him living a normal life… for maybe three whole seconds. He was the mirror image of her, needing to be on the job, needing to be out in the field and d
oing what he did best.

  She hadn’t realized how much she loved her damn job until she couldn’t do it anymore. Except for this, though playing babysitter was not what she’d call being in the field. For the moment, she’d push concerns for her career out of her mind. Beau Savage was her mission, and no matter how crazy those damn predatory eyes drove her, she would get through this and worry about what came next later.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Beau escorted Naomi to her room before he turned to his. He’d moved back in now that the roof was fixed well enough for him to sleep under it. The bed had been changed at some point during the evening, and he considered sleeping for a few hours. Ted and Shane were on watch for a while longer, but the second he lay down, Beau was wide awake, staring at the ceiling. That woman and her stubborn pride.

  He wanted to get closer to her, needed to. Why? So you can walk right out of her life when this is over? You don’t settle down, remember?

  He grunted at the voice, but it was right. Something told him if he did manage to get involved with Naomi, it’d either go well or they’d wind up hating each other. It wouldn’t be a calm relationship. A fire burned in her eyes, but damn, he wanted to be consumed by that burning because of a past she couldn’t get away from. Unless he made her forget it.

  He sat up when he heard steps and the tapping of her cane in the hall. Guessing she couldn’t sleep either, he waited until she passed, got up, and followed her steps down. Jackie and Gareth were holed up in one of the storerooms-turned-guestroom, but their light was off. Laughter filtered out from under the door, and Beau’s cheeks flamed, wondering what Naomi would sound like if he ever got her where he wanted her.

  The lamp popped on in Naomi’s office, and he followed her in. “Can’t sleep…” His question trailed off when she turned and he saw her in black knit shorts riding well above her knees. He’d seen her scars before, but this was the first time he’d seen her whole knee. The sight put him at a sudden loss for words.

  “Did you want something?” she snapped, tapping her cane on the floor for emphasis. “Getting a nice long look, are you?”