Her Special Forces

by Sophia Roslyn

  Another round of good-byes. Jack pointed to Gemma. “Okay, we’re all packed. Remember, use the back door, so you don’t track through where the ERTs are working. I’ll meet you at the Tahoe.” Gemma nodded, wiggled her fingers at Kacey, then left.

  Jack hiked up his belt, checked his pockets. He picked lint off a wrapper, popped a piece of gum into his mouth. Nathan was immediately reminded of his favorite rumpled detective in old Columbo re-runs.

  Cannon left for a moment, returned. “Nate, I just checked with Malloy. The ERT crew shouldn’t be too much longer. The bodies were already packed up, so it’s safe to leave with Gemma. Regardless of their relationship, she didn’t need to see her father with his head blown apart, or wrapped in a body bag and wheeled out on a gurney. As it is, I’m sure the kid will end up needing a shrink.”

  Nate shook the agent’s hand. “Hell, we’re all gonna end up needing shrinks. You’re a good man, Charlie Brown. Now, be an even better man, and don’t call again—at least for a while, and then only to RSVP an invitation for a special mac and cheese dinner.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m tired of seeing your ugly face, too.”

  “But I didn’t call you in the middle of the freakin’ night.”

  “Extenuating circumstances, buddy, extenuating circumstances. Besides, I didn’t call you—I called Kacey. Imagine my surprise to find you were in such close proximity.”

  Nathan, who didn’t make blushing a habit, actually felt the back of his neck warm up. “Hmm, yeah. Whatever. Have a safe trip.”

  “You guys okay for a ride, or do you want me to wait? There are a herd of vehicles outside, but I don’t know which belongs to whom.”

  “We’re good. Jonah brought Kacey’s Jeep and left it for us. He hitched a ride with the guys. They were going to drop him at his clinic, then head back to Woburn. I think he’s hoping Jeffrey will hang out with him for a while, but I don’t know if that’s gonna happen.”

  Jack nodded, gave a quick salute, then left.

  Nate turned to Kacey, who was drifting in and out of a doze. “So, let’s get you undressed, young lady.”

  “Sure.” She appeared too drugged to be the least bit turned on—or annoyed—by his offer.

  Maneuvering his fingers with the deft touch and speed of an high school boy, Nate undid the hooks of her bra, slid it off one arm, then worked it over the IV set-up on her other hand. He scooched it up the IV line to the plastic bag, unhooked the bag for a second, and voila! She was free of encumbrances.

  Nate sat back in the chair with a deep sigh, burgundy satin and white lace hanging from his fingers. “That wasn’t exactly how I envisioned removing your garment. Well, at least we’re finally alone. Except, of course, for the ERT crew in control of the other half of the chalet. The bodies are gone.”

  When he didn’t get a response, or even a grunt of acknowledgement, he glanced over.

  Her breathing deep and even, Kacey was out like a light.

  …

  To Nate’s surprise—as well as the other guys—Jeffrey accepted Jonah’s offer to hang out with him in Winterpine for a while. That left Barracuda, Jimmy Ray, Aye-Aye, and Billy Boy to return to their posh hotel on the outskirts of Boston, to enjoy the local cuisine, lounge at pool side, and eat real meals, at least until they decided on their next move.

  The FBI’s ERT crew finally released the crime scene. Without much in the way of conversation, Nathan closed up the chalet, then he and Kacey returned to Timberwyck. The household staff and grounds keepers were back in place and at full strength by the time they arrived, so the estate, once again, hummed along smoothly and efficiently.

  After a week’s worth of healing under Nate’s round-the-clock care—with an assist from Dr. Jonah—Kacey met with the family attorneys at Timberwyck, then visited the O’Donnell Lumber Company’s Board of Directors. Nate delivered her to the lobby, parked the Jeep in a reserved slot, then waited. When she returned to him, Nate raised his brow in question. Kacey nodded, gave a thumb’s up. “It’s all good in the hood.”

  Nate also stopped in to see Big Bob. Without preamble, the sheriff tossed a newspaper across his desk, folded to show the bold headline that read, Senator Killed, Daughter Safe. Nate got away without being handcuffed by promising to fill Bob in on the whole story, first chance he got. “Boy, I’m gonna send out for coffee and lunch, lock us in my office, then you will by goddamn tell me just what the hell you two, and Mr. Jack Cannon, got yourselves up to.”

  Nate’s black Charger was given its own carriage house accommodation, in the bay next to Kacey’s Jeep. Nate moved his meager belongings into the suite adjoining Kacey’s, but by way of the communicating door, never actually spent time there except to change clothes.

  All was well and good, and life finally seemed settled for a few days, but Kacey steadfastly avoided the main issue: would she accept Nate’s offer of happily ever after, or not.

  The sex continued to be rockin’ hot, even better as Kacey’s wounds healed and she wasn’t as affected by annoying twinges of pain.

  Bedding hanging off the edge of the mattress, Nate lay on his back, Kacey on hers, her head resting on his abs. He folded an arm behind his head, spooled her silky hair through his fingers. Still recovering from their exertions, her proximity to his sex had his member stirring again. God, she feels so good, smells so good, I can’t help myself.

  “Marry me.”

  She fidgeted. “Why?”

  That wasn’t what he expected. “What do you mean, why? That’s not exactly a proper response. Yes is a proper response.”

  “Nathan, everything’s going so well. Why tempt fate? Let’s not disturb the status quo of the universe.”

  “Kace, I love you. We should get married.”

  “What difference would it make?”

  He shook his head. “Again with the lack of proper response, which should be, yes, Nate, I love you more than life itself, and I’ll be only too glad to marry you.”

  The body against him definitely tensed up.

  “Nathan, we’re already doing everything married people do.”

  “Then let’s get married anyway, and make an honest man of me. My parents will be so pleased, and proud of their firstborn for making the commitment.”

  “No.”

  The tightness in his chest was not from excitement. “No? What the hell means no?”

  “You asked me for an answer. Since you seem somehow dissatisfied with the present arrangement, then no.”

  He sat up, her head sliding to his lap. “The present arrangement isn’t enough. I want all of you.”

  That brought her squinty-eyed and upright. “All of me? How much more of me do you want? You fucking already have everything. We’re never apart. I’m lucky you leave my side long enough for me to pee in peace.” She scooched to the edge of the mattress. “I don’t know what more I can give.”

  “Do I really overwhelm you that much, that you feel trapped?”

  Her silence, as well as her inability to meet his gaze, told him more than words could have.

  “I see.”

  Even though he knew his mouth might be sinking him further, the words tumbled out. “So, what’s with Special Agent Cannon? You guys connected somehow?” Nate had liked the guy, respected him as a professional, but he seemed to know quite a bit about the O’Donnell family. He realized Cannon’s late night phone call to Kacey had been niggling at him for days in a subliminal way.

  “Wow, is there a smidgeon of pond scum green jealousy blasting from your eyes?”

  “Heartless wench. The only green eyes around here are yours, and they don’t resemble pond scum.”

  Since his legs were becoming numb, he slipped her body off his lap, so they rested hip to hip, his arm still around her shoulders. He loved the feel of her cheek against his breast. She reached across his chest, ran a fingernail over his other nipple, yet seemed unaware she was doing it. He drew in a deep breath, and the increase in blood flow to other body parts signaled his awareness.
>
  Okay, maybe a touch of jealousy. What’s mine is mine. “Just odd that he would call you, rather than his FBI buddies.”

  “You heard him—his section had been compromised.”

  “Okay, so why not ask for help from the sheriff, since they seem to be pals?”

  That brought her upright, also brought her nipple play to a halt. “What the fuck is going on, Weatherly?”

  He moved away from her, slid out of bed, stepped into his boxer briefs, then settled on a side chair. “Look, I understand clandestine ops better than most—they controlled most of my adult life. But Cannon took a huge career risk by coloring outside the lines.”

  Kacey pulled the tea-colored Egyptian cotton sheet over her breasts.

  Yeah, like that’s going to remove the sight, feel, smell of her skin from my brain.

  “Nathan, why are you doing this? Why are you being such a dick? Jack Cannon was a friend of my da’s, introduced by Big Bob. He’s married, happily, with two girls who just reached their teens. What are you suggesting? That I was having an affair with a family man nearly old enough to be my fucking father?”

  “So, the FBI gets into trouble, and calls you? I’m not buyin’ it.”

  If flames could have shot from Kacey’s orbs, Nate knew he’d be toast. She moved slowly and deliberately to the edge of the mattress, dropped her feet to the floor. Thinking she was reaching for the T-shirt that hung over the arm of his chair, the roundhouse blow to his jaw caught him totally unprepared, skewed him sideways and to the carpet.

  He rolled onto his knees in an instant. “Kace, what the—?”

  She actually did grab her shirt, shrugged into it. “Maybe Marines should stick with Marines, because you are one dumb, sonofabitch squid.” Still barefoot, she lunged forward and kicked at him. Her foot didn’t connect, but it came damned close. “You’re such a stupid man. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

  “Kacey, Jesus H. Christ on a stick already. Calm down!”

  “Calm down? Calm down? You don’t know anything! When my Da was alive, he was a civilian asset for the FBI. Big Bob introduced him to Jack when they needed someone to fly recon in the mountains for an agent gone missing during an ATF/FBI sting. No one knew the freakin’ mountains better than my da, and he could land Pin-Up Girl just about anywhere. I’ve known Jack since I was a kid and he was a rookie. Jeez Lou-eeze, Weatherly. Really?”

  When she came at him again, he was ready. He grabbed both her feet and flipped her ass into the chair. Keeping his important parts away from danger, he rolled up from the floor, folded his arms across his chest and pinned her to the cushions. Pounding on his shoulders didn’t faze him, as long as she kept her claws sheathed. He was sure she’d quickly reach the clawing point, but he seemed safe for the moment.

  “So, sweetheart, why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m not your sweetheart, and you didn’t need to know.”

  “I beg to differ. My life was on the line, as well as the lives of my men. Not to mention a little girl.”

  She tried to wriggle away, but he had her secured.

  “Dammit, let me go! We had it under control. Years ago, Jack was introduced to Glennon Garrett, the go-to surveillance guru from Jersey, through a private paramilitary training camp in Maine. Garrett supplied your intel and satellite feeds.”

  “You still haven’t explained why Cannon called you.”

  “God, you’re such a macho asshole. With Da gone, I was the next best thing.”

  “And he just happened to know you could get in touch with me?”

  She blew out a deep breath, stopped struggling. “No, not from me. He came up with that intel on his own. I’m thinking it was Garrett again—Glennon has his fingers into everything, and I do mean everything. He probably knew about TASG’s interest before they contacted me. I assume it was the same with you and the guys.”

  Determined not to fold, he tried smiling, but her expression didn’t soften. “Nathan, throwing Jack under the bus was a low blow. It reeks of jealousy, and I won’t have it. I’m sorry. I really am. I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m suffocating. How much closer do you want us to be? I don’t think I can be who or what you want.”

  Moving to the edge of the bed, he pulled her over to sit next to him. “I don’t want to smother you. I just want to love you. Be with you. Take care of you.”

  She took him by surprise once more when she hit the floor, spun to face him, eyes shooting green fire. Even commando in a T-shirt, she was formidable.

  “Damn it, Nathan, stop! Just stop! Don’t you get it? You’re making me crazy. I don’t need you to take care of me. I can bloody well take care of myself! You’re not offering love, you’re demanding possession. I’m surprised I’m not wearing a collar with a bell and a return-to tag, or that I really don’t have a GPS chip Krazy-glued to my ass.”

  That brought him to his feet. “Kace, just hear me out—”

  “Okay, that’s it. I’m done twisting myself into a pretzel for you, and I feel a distinct lack of trust in the air. Buddy, either back off and give me some space, or take a fucking hike.”

  The air left his lungs as if he’d been gut-punched. “You can’t mean that.”

  The snarl sounded serious. “Oh yes, I can. And you know me well enough to fucking believe it.”

  Clothes went sailing as she tried to sort through hers and his. By her expression, that pissed her off even more. She tossed his Navy shorts at his head, finally gave up the search for her undergarments. Running shorts and sports top were handy, so she yanked off her T-shirt and pulled them over her nude, sex-sweaty body.

  She wrestled her tousled bed hair into a ponytail, slid into her sneakers, tied the laces with more force than necessary. “I’m going for a run. Alone. I’d appreciate it if you weren’t here when I got back.”

  “Fuck, you can’t mean that. Kace—”

  “Nathan. I’m as serious as a freakin’ heart attack. Be gone.”

  …

  Jeffrey lounged on Jonah’s forest green leather sofa, his limbs as loose and easy as a teenager. One long leg hung over the wide armrest, coffee mug nestled in his hands. “Nate, ya gotta give her some space, man.”

  Elbows resting on knees, Nate wondered if he looked as bad as he felt. He’d arrived in a sleeveless Iron Man T-shirt, Go Navy shorts, and Nikes. Unshaven, hair a mess. “She needs me to take care of her.” Appearing like something the cat dragged in, he didn’t miss the irony.

  “Dude, she may need it, but she’s not ready to accept it. Doesn’t want it. You can’t force the issue.”

  Nate gave the young SEAL half a smile, and he felt old. “The voice of experience?”

  “Mock me if you will, but Jonah opened my eyes to what was happening in my own brain. Didn’t have a clue about the dark stuff going on in my head until it hit me between the eyes. In a manner of speaking.”

  “So, Yoda, what do you suggest I do?”

  “Chief, I’m not totally sure what to tell ya. You and Marcus found me in the woods, for which I’ll be eternally grateful. But Kilo Delta—Kacey—saved my life. Now she deserves a shot at being saved, no pun intended.”

  Shifting in his seat, Nate rubbed his hands over his scruffy face, the frustration building. Again. “Kid, that’s all I’m trying to do. Help her. Give her a chance to be herself again.”

  Jeffrey’s foot bounced up and down, and Nate found his gaze following the motion. He shook himself to break the almost hypnotic connection. Wow, that was weird.

  “Dude, I’m tellin’ ya, give her some space. I don’t know how else to explain it. She needs room to move, needs a chance to regain her equilibrium.”

  That earned Jeffrey a real grin from Nate.

  “Listen to you, young Skywalker, all grown up.”

  A blush rose to the young man’s cheeks. “It took Jonah long enough to get my attention.”

  “But you did it. Listened to him, I mean.”

  “Yeah, well, I’d like to take credit, but Jonah damned near needed to s
lam a brick upside my head to get me to focus on what he was trying to say.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to do—help her focus. Show her that I care.”

  “And I’m trying to tell ya, you can’t force it, dude. The way Jonah explained the problem, it’s like being an alcoholic or drug addict—until she admits Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is pounding her into the pavement, until she decides to ask for help, all you’re gonna do is piss her off and chase her away. Or, she’s gonna totally shut down. If she doesn’t admit to it, if she doesn’t want to do it, it’s not gonna to get done. Sorry, Captain, that’s the reality.” He broke off to take a sip of coffee. “Harsh to hear, dude, I know. Facing it knocked me on my ass.”

  Nate knew he might be overstepping his bounds, but he needed to ask. “How are you handling it?”

  The wrinkle in Jeffrey’s brow aged him in a major way. “I don’t believe a .357 round to the temple is the way to go, so I’d say that’s a major improvement, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yeah, buddy, I do.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kacey knew she lived a lie. Nathan had been right—she’d felt safest in his arms, from Delaram to New Hampshire. She didn’t know why she found it impossible to admit, but he did, indeed, keep the demons at bay. Mostly. He’d been nothing but supportive; he’d been her anchor.

  There was nothing smooth about her running style as she pounded across the tailored lawns, heading away from Timberwyck and into the woods. Her usual smooth gait turned short and choppy, which just added to her level of irritation. This late in the summer, the lack of rain had the barely green lawn nearly crunchy under her feet, and the scraped-earth running path might as well have been poured and cured concrete.

  She needed to think, but she couldn’t sort through the maelstrom of emotions that being around Nathan always provoked. When he was gone, she could hide from herself. When he was anywhere nearby, his very presence forced her to think too much.

  The combination of millennia of ice and thaw in the sometimes frigid Northeast had fractured a huge boulder that lay along the edge of the running path—which was nothing more than a connected series of widened game trials. Such a fracture resulted in a breakaway boulder about the size of a round picnic table, with a totally flat top, as if chiseled by a master stone mason. About two miles out from the edge of the landscaped estate grounds, it was Kacey’s favorite resting spot.