8
Mitch
I piled the kids, the pets, and Ashley into my ex’s minivan. Make that my minivan. It was still in my name, but April used it since she had the kids. Not anymore. I was done playing games with her. And I hoped that if things progressed with Ashley the way I wanted them to, I would be able to create a stable home with her for my kids.
Stable. Ha. What a joke. I was a motherfucking SEAL—the exact opposite of stable. But I craved that normalcy. My job was so erratic, deploying all around the world, killing terrorists, I wanted to come home to peace. All I wanted was a hot woman to fuck, someone who loved me and was faithful when I was gone. And though I had been scared to become a father at such a young age, I adored my kids. They were my reason for living, my reason for making it through war, the reason I came home. And I’d love to have a few more.
I popped a Disney movie into the player and prepared for the long drive to San Diego. I would drop the pets off at Grant’s place so he could watch them, then head up to Anaheim. We made a quick pit stop at the gas station to fill up and grab some snacks before leaving Las Vegas. Road trip, baby.
Ashley pressed her body against the passenger side door, and she stared out the window. Maybe I was paranoid, but I felt like she was trying to get as far away from me as possible. I reached out and gripped her thigh.
“You okay?”
“Yup. Just tired.”
Tired? Not likely. Yeah, I’d fucked her all night, but I had also let her sleep late. She was pulling back from me. Maybe I was overwhelming her with my kids. But I didn’t go slow, not at work and not in my personal life. I was one hundred percent, full-on into her.
“Well, take a nap. We’ll be there in five hours.”
She didn’t respond and instead curled up in a ball away from me. Man, I would never understand women. She had been totally into me last night. Even though I had kissed her, I’d had no intention of seducing her after I’d first said good night. Not that I hadn’t wanted to—I’d had every plan to get her in bed when we were still on our date in San Diego. But once I’d had to go to Las Vegas and she’d asked to come with me, I hadn’t wanted to make her uncomfortable. I had cherished our goodnight kiss and thought that would be that until we got back to San Diego. But she had been the one to open the door, wearing nothing but her lingerie and heels. Like hell was I going to resist her, not after I had wanted her for so long.
I cranked up the rock music in the car, grateful that the kids had their headphones for their movies.
I still needed to figure out if Paul was fucking April. And was I a sick fuck for being angry that April seemed more upset that Paul had died than she had when we had broken up? Probably.
I hoped, for my kids’ sake, she pulled through.
Five hours later, we were back in San Diego. I dropped the pets off at Grant’s place and noted that Ashley didn’t get out of the car to greet Mia. I assumed Ashley still hated her guts. Well, she would have to get over it if we started dating. Grant was my best friend in the world and Mia was his wife. And I knew Mia was innocent.
I stopped by my place to get some clothes, swung by Ashley’s so she could pick up her things, and we headed up to Anaheim, with a pit stop at the drive-thru for the kids. It had been a long day, but my kids were so excited to go to Disneyland tomorrow that they didn’t complain. And I was just thrilled to be able to spend this much time with them.
We finally arrived at The Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. It was gorgeous—reminded me of the Ahwahnee in Yosemite, with its rustic feel and craftsman theme. I had reserved a suite—I didn’t make much money as a SEAL but everything I had, I spent on my kids. They were exhausted, so they quickly went to sleep, eager to wake up bright and early so we could hit Magic Mountain.
After I put them down, I started a fire in the fireplace in the suite and sat next to Ashley. She was dressed casually in a red shirt and cutoffs. Without her business suit, she didn’t look like a badass NCIS agent. She could’ve been just another sexy Southern California blonde, but she was so much more than her looks.
Her gaze focused on the gigantic carousel wheel in the distance, and I could tell she wanted to be anywhere but here, with anyone but me.
But I didn’t give up that easily.
“What’s wrong, babe? Hate Mickey Mouse?”
“No, that’s not it. I actually have never been to Disneyland.”
“What? You’ve never been to Disneyland? You live less than two hours away.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I know. Never went as a kid and never had anyone ask me to go as an adult. I don’t know. It seemed frivolous to go alone.”
“It’s anything but frivolous. I’m here for my kids, but I love it, too. They are building a Star Wars Land, too. I guess I’m just a big kid at heart. We’re going to have a great time.”
My last line caused her to smile, and she finally turned toward me. “You surprise me, Mitch. I couldn’t stand you when I met you. I thought you were a misogynistic asshole.”
“Misogynist? No. I love women. Love them. I was just bitter last year. But what about you? I mean Autumn was the life of the party. I know she’s lurking in you somewhere. Let Autumn free.”
She shook her head. “Autumn was an act. I can’t turn my mind off. I want to, I do. But I’m obsessed. Consumed. By this case. By the Cruz case. By my sister’s case.”
And there it was. I knew what I needed to do to get her to trust me. But I wasn’t playing a game. I wanted her to fall for me.
I perused the room service menu. It sucked and definitely wouldn’t impress Ashley. So I had an idea. I called down to the Napa Rose restaurant, ordered a nice bottle of wine, artichoke fritters, Hamachi tartare, a filet mignon, steelhead trout, braised greens, and chocolate mousse for dessert. When the waiter finally delivered our food, Ashley’s eyes brightened.
“Mitch, you didn’t have to do this for me.”
“I don’t have to do anything. I wanted to. We never had our date. I told you I’d make it up to you.”
I could immediately see her body relax. “Well, in that case, let me get ready.”
She snuck away to the bathroom. I hoped that she would appear in some sexy lingerie, but she came back with some light makeup on, her hair slightly curled, and a slip dress hugging her curves.
That’s what I’m talking about.
I poured her a glass of wine and wondered for a moment what it would be like to have a woman like Ashley love me.
“Babe, you are so beautiful.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate all this effort. No one has ever pampered me.”
“Ha, if you think this is pampering, you ain’t seen nothing yet. I’ll do anything for you. I mean that.” I paused and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “Tell me about your sister. What was her name?”
She quickly swallowed her wine, and her face changed from soft and loving to distant and withdrawn. Fuck. I should’ve waited to go there. It was too soon to get the details, and we were finally bonding. I might have just ruined this night.
“You don’t have to tell me. But if you want to talk, I’m a good listener.”
After a few moments of silence, Ashley exhaled and began to speak. “Her name was Brielle. She was the cutest little baby, with huge, bright eyes and the longest lashes. I was so young, I barely remember anything about her, except that I treated her like my very own doll. I was only three when she was taken. She was seven months old.”
Blood boiled in my body. I couldn’t imagine someone taking my little girl. I would tear up this earth to find Sienna. And if anyone ever tried to hurt her, I would fucking kill him with my bare hands. I remembered watching some guy the other day rushing the bailiffs in a courthouse, trying to attack this piece of shit child molester who’d hurt his daughters. Had that been me, no bailiff would’ve been able to hold me back. And that molester would never see the light of day again.
“That’s horrible. There were no leads?”
She shook her head, and her distant look came
back. “No, nothing solid at all. Well, nothing we knew about. I scoured the records once I became an agent, but found no leads. It’s a cold case.”
Something felt off to me about that. I didn’t think Ashley was hiding anything from me, but there had to be solid leads in the case. Maybe she wasn’t privy to them because of her connection to the case. But a kidnapping on a Navy base? There had to have been some suspects.
Maybe I could find something out.
“What did your dad do in the Navy? Please don’t say he was a SEAL.”
She shook her head. “No, he was intel. But he did work with SEALs though. He hated them. Just like I do.” She licked her lips, teasing me.
I wrapped my arms around her and threw her down on the sofa. “Is that right? You didn’t seem to hate me last night.”
She writhed under me and looked me straight in the eyes. “It was a hate fuck. And it was incredible.”
I didn’t want her to hate me. I wanted this one amazing woman who was completely out of my league to think that I was a good man, a good father, a good partner. I wanted her to see through my cockiness and make me a better man.
I wanted her to love me.
“I’ll fuck you just the way you like it, baby. Hard and rough. But let’s get one thing clear, Agent Pierce. I don’t hate you. I’m fucking crazy about you. I know this is moving way too fast, but baby, one day you will eat your words. One day, you will fall in love with this Navy SEAL. And I’ll never let you go.”
9
Ashley
A ray of sunlight roused me from my slumber. “Rise and shine, beautiful.” Mitch planted a kiss on my forehead.
I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. “What time is it? I thought this was a vacation.”
“It’s six-thirty, babe. But extra magic hour starts at eight and Chip ’n Dale’s Critter Breakfast opens at seven. Let’s go.”
Kill me now. The only Chippendales I was interested in seeing performed at the all-male revue in Vegas. No shame in my game. Why should SEALs have all the fun with strippers? Beautiful, sexy men dancing around me? Sign me up.
My head pounded, and I just wanted to go back to sleep. I should’ve known better than to date a SEAL who rises before dawn. Hell, it was doubtful he even went to sleep last night; when I had crashed, he had still been awake. Maybe he was doing speed. I’d snoop around later.
This was not how I had imagined a sexy getaway with my hot new lover would go. I had pictured breakfast in bed, another round of mind-blowing sex that included multiple orgasms, a couple’s massage, and dinner at a romantic restaurant.
But this wasn’t a romantic getaway. This was a family vacation with two young kids. And Mitch wasn’t my boyfriend. He was my suspect.
I hobbled out of bed, and then I tripped on a rogue Lego. Damn, those things were sharp. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, rubbed on some sunscreen, slipped into a T-shirt and jean cutoffs, and put on my flip-flops.
Chip ’n Dale, here I come.
I opened the door and gasped when I saw Mitch dressing Sienna in her princess costume. She was The Little Mermaid, complete with a red wig, purple top, turquoise tulle skirt with a starfish tucked into the belt. She looked adorable, and a motherly instinct that I didn’t know that I had took over.
“Sienna, you are so pretty. You look just like Ariel.”
“My daddy is King Triton!”
I tried not to roll my eyes. Yup, Triton, Navy SEAL, God of the Sea. Not that I wouldn’t mind seeing Mitch wearing nothing but a merman tail and a crown, but that was for another day and place. No time to cosplay.
Instead, Mitch looked hotter than ever in a black T-shirt that hugged his incredible chest and green cargo shorts that fell right at his massive thighs. And to complete this picture-perfect family, his sweet son Sam was dressed as an adorable Buzz Lightyear.
“Okay. Time to eat!”
Mitch hurried us out of the room and downstairs to the restaurant. After we posed for a photo at the entrance, we were ushered into the buffet.
Two way-too-peppy woodland creatures greeted us at once. Sam and Sienna instantly recognized them as Chip ’N Dale. I was so out of the Disney loop. I had grown up way too fast as a child. I had never had the luxury of theme parks, fairy tales, and fantasy lands to escape to. While my friends dreamed of finding Prince Charming and falling in love, I dreamed of being a warrior and slaying the evil man who had kidnapped the princess from the castle. Was my sister still out there waiting to be saved? I might never know the answer to that question.
Mitch sensed my uneasiness. He kissed me on the cheek. “Let me get you a plate. Just sit here.”
He got up to go to the buffet with his kids. I saw him pile Mickey Mouse waffles with strawberries, syrup, and whipped cream onto two plates. The kids returned to the table, and I helped cut up their food while Mitch grabbed us our own food.
I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to appreciate this slice in time. Why could I not be more present? I was at the Happiest Place on Earth with a wonderful, loving man. He had treated me like a queen since we had gone out on our date, but I was so suspicious and frankly, I was being a complete bitch. At least for today, I needed just to try to have fun and not treat Mitch like a suspect.
Mitch sat back down and handed me my plate filled with eggs, potatoes, and sausage.
I leaned in and kissed him. “Thanks, babe.”
His eyebrow raised. “Babe? Oh, so you like me again? You are running hot and cold.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. I wish I could turn it off.”
“In BUD/S, we focus on one task at a time. Just get through one evolution. One run. One swim. Just be here now, with me.”
I squeezed his thigh. “I’ll try.”
After we finished our food, Chip, Dale, Mickey, and Minnie came over for hugs and pictures. Mitch paid, and we finally left the restaurant and entered Disney’s California Adventure through the back gate of our hotel. I was immediately wowed by the beauty of the park. We went over to Radiator Springs, the Monsters Inc. ride, and went on the Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, which Sienna insisted we ride on multiple times.
The kids were laughing, and Mitch was the biggest kid of them all. Maybe I’d been wrong about him.
My phone buzzed. It was my boss. I quickly excused myself from Mitch and returned the call.
“What is it? Is there a break in the case?”
“What case? I told you to drop that, Agent Pierce. No. That’s not why I called. You have been assigned a new partner. Please check in tomorrow.”
I exhaled. “Really, sir? I never take a vacation, and I’m in Orange County. Disneyland, actually. Is there any way this can wait a few days and I’ll meet him when I return?”
“No. It can’t wait. I’ll give you the night, but I expect you to report back tomorrow.”
“Fine, sir. I’ll be there.”
I hung up and made my way back to Mitch, who handed me some rose gold Mickey Mouse ears embroidered with my name.
He placed them on my head and then kissed me. “I want to see you wearing nothing but these later.”
“I’d love to, but I’ll have to take a rain check. My boss just called. I have to report to work tomorrow.”
His face fell. “You sure? I thought you had a few days off.”
“Me, too. I mean, I was approved for leave, but I guess I was assigned a new partner. I should head back now so I can get settled. I’ll take an Uber.”
He shook his head. “No, we can leave with you.”
“Nope. I’m not going to ruin your kids’ vacation. They need this. You need this time with them, too. I see so much joy on their faces. And I remember when my sister was taken, the only time I was happy was when I was distracted. Please stay as long as you can. Call me when you return to town. I’ll be waiting for you at my place with nothing but these ears on.”
The smile returned to his face, and he smacked my ass. He cupped my face in his hand, and we kissed for the whole wo
rld to see. And I wasn’t embarrassed. I was proud of being with him.
I said goodbye to his kids and went back up to the room to pack. After arranging for a rental car from the hotel, I grabbed my bags and waited by the curb for the shuttle to the car rental place.
Most days, I was thrilled to go to my high-stress job. But sometimes, I just wanted to be a normal girl on vacation.
The shuttle arrived. I rented a car and drove to my place in San Diego. I turned in early, woke up in the morning, and got ready to work.
I wondered who my new partner would be. I hoped it wasn’t an older agent who was a stickler for rules. Or, worse yet, a newbie who didn’t have a clue what to do.
I grabbed a hot mocha, a luxury I normally didn’t indulge in, at the coffee cart outside. I would need the extra caffeine jolt. As I made my way up in the elevator, I noticed my supervisor was standing by my door.
“Sorry to cut your trip short. We are working on a lead for a new case, and I wanted to make sure you and your new partner got a good head start on it. I’ll give you a vacation later. Agent Carrion will be here shortly.”
I choked on my coffee, and it spilled all over my white dress shirt.
“Agent Carrion? As in, Grant Carrion? Did he leave the SEALs? You have to have a college degree to become an agent. I’ve read his file. He’s a highly honorable SEAL, but I don’t think he’s qualified to become an agent. Do I have any say in this matter?”
“No, Pierce. You don’t.”
Heat rose in my body, and I pushed the bile down in my throat. I couldn’t possibly work with Grant as my partner. For one, we had hooked up once when I had been undercover as Autumn. And now I was fucking his best friend. And even though we had hooked up when he was broken up with Mia, now he was married to her, and it would be way too awkward. Mia and I were like sangria and sensibility. We didn’t mix. I couldn’t stand her and was still convinced she had something to hide. No. There was no way I could work with Agent Carrion.
The door flew open, and I quickly realized the joke was on me.
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