by Cat Johnson
Listening to his voice in the darkened room as he sat propped up against the headboard with his arm around her shoulders, she could barely comprehend all he said. He talked about atrocities with a distance that belied the events that had happened to him. She was certain he was giving her only the tip of the iceberg. For what he told her, for what she knew he still hid from her, her eyes brimmed with tears.
She cried over how he’d been hurt and tortured. She cried out of guilt because she’d hated him for not contacting her even though he’d had no choice in the matter. And she cried that he hadn’t felt he could call her when he’d finally come home to heal.
“That’s pretty much all I can tell you. I didn’t want to start off with secrets between us.” He reached out and brushed the tears from her cheeks. More fell in their place.
“I’m so sorry, Jimmy.”
He shook his head. “None of it’s your fault, darlin’.”
“But I wish I could have been there for you.”
“You were. I thought about you constantly while I was there and afterward when I was home. I made love to you thousands of times in my mind.” His laugh held a touch of embarrassment. “And quite a few of those times I imagined telling you I loved you.”
“Which is why you said it before.” Lia felt her heart ache. He was in love with the image of her in his head, the one he had clung to during the horrors he’d been through. He wasn’t in love with the real her.
“Probably.” Jimmy pulled her closer and touched his lips to each eyelid.
It didn’t matter. He’d grow to love the real her. She’d make sure he did. Lia moved over him, straddling his thighs with her own. She grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him hard. She felt his growing erection beneath her. “Make love to me again?”
Groaning, he rolled her onto her back. “My pleasure.”
Chapter Nine
Jimmy opened his eyes and stretched. Judging by the sun it must be late morning and he’d actually slept really well once they’d gotten to sleep. He looked down at Lia next to him and smiled. She was the reason they’d been up until the wee hours making love, and the reason he’d slept better than he had in months.
It felt good waking up next to her. It felt right. And then his blissful bubble was broken when he heard the front door open and voices in the living room. A moment later, his bedroom door burst open and Jack flipped the light switch on.
“Jeez, Jack. Close the friggin’ door. I’m not alone.”
Lia, apparently not fast to wake, sat up sputtering. “Wha-what’s going on?”
Jack’s eyes bulged as the sheet fell away from Lia’s naked breasts. Jimmy’s hand shot out and pulled it back up to cover her, but not before Nicki, who’d just walked in and taken stock of the scene, smacked Jack.
“God, Jack. Give them some privacy.” She practically yanked him out by the ear and pulled the door shut.
“You better get your naked butt out here, big brother.” Jack’s voice came through the closed door. “You’re in deep shit. Don’t be surprised if the next person to come a knockin’ is the commander.”
Uh oh. What now? He glanced down at the still-groggy Lia. “I better go out there and see what’s up.”
Sleepy and tousled and looking far too tempting, she nodded. Jimmy hopped out of bed before he lost interest in Jack and whatever bad news he had to deliver in favor of staying in bed with Lia. He pulled on a pair of PT shorts and a T-shirt and went to investigate what the hell Jack was so flustered about.
He didn’t have long to wait. The moment he entered the living room, Jack flung a newspaper on the table and pointed to the front page. “Take a gander at this.”
The headline above the full-page photo of him and Lia kissing outside of the party last night read, Mystery Military Man Smooches Miss Monroe-Carrington.
Jimmy groaned “Aww, shit.”
“You gotta give them credit for creativity, getting all those Ms lined up like that. The press will do anything for a witty headline, but yeah, shit is right. Good thing you had your hat on and it hid your face. They haven’t figured out who you are yet, but you keep seeing her and they’ll figure it out soon enough. Jesus, Jimmy. You gotta fall for the governor’s daughter? The commander is going to shit a brick. Dating her will mean your face will be in the paper all the time. You can forget about going undercover ever again. Your career will be over.”
Jimmy shook his head. “I don’t care. I’ll leave the team if they ask me to. I’m staying with Lia.”
“I won’t let you sacrifice your career for me, Jimmy.”
He turned and saw her standing in the bedroom doorway wearing his shirt from last night. The sight only served to steel his stance. “It’s not your decision, darlin’. My mind is made up. I’ll change and go see the commander right now.”
She shook her head and was about to protest when he walked to her, laid one finger over her lips and then kissed her. “I know what I’m doing. Trust me.”
“I do.”
“Good.”
She followed him into the bedroom and sat silently on the edge of the bed while he got changed into clothes appropriate for begging forgiveness from your commander. That was it. He couldn’t procrastinate any longer. “Guess I better get going. Will you be here when I get back?”
“Do you want me to be?”
“Yes.” Today and for every day after that.
Lia nodded. “Then I’ll be here.”
He led her to the bedroom door by the hand. Before he left, she kissed him with tears in her eyes. After that, he didn’t worry any more about the fact that he might be forced to leave Task Force Zeta. It would be worth it to have her in his life.
When Jimmy glanced back into the living room, Jack was sprawled on the couch and Nicki was in the kitchen filling the coffee pot with water.
Jimmy frowned. “Don’t let Nicki make the coffee. She’s a guest. Get off your lazy butt and go do it yourself.”
Jack turned and watched Nicki with a grin. “She’s Italian. Do you really think she’s going to let me anywhere near the kitchen? Ain’t that right, darlin’.”
Nicki laughed. “Have you tasted Jack’s coffee? Don’t worry about it, Jimmy. You’ve got enough on your mind right now.”
Jack stood up and moved closer. “Yeah, Jimmy, about that. Listen, I know you’ve got other things on your mind, but I just wanted to let you know I’m moving out.”
Jimmy groaned and ran a hand over his face. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to deal with this now. “Jeez, Jack. I’m sorry I snapped at you before, but it’s nothing to move out over.”
Jack broke into a crooked grin. “You know me better than that, bro. If I didn’t want to go, you couldn’t get me out of here with a bulldozer. I’ve been thinking about getting my own place so Nicki and I can be alone when she’s visiting.” Jack paused long enough to glance at Nicki in the kitchen. “Carly’s moved in with Trey, so her apartment above the bar is available. And now that you’re with Miss Monroe-Carrington in there, I figure you’ll be wanting the extra privacy too.”
What Jack said made sense, but it still seemed like the end of an era. Jack had lived with him since the day he’d joined the team. Jimmy pulled him into a quick, back-slapping hug. “I’ll still miss ya’, little brother.”
Jack laughed. “Jeez, one near-death experience and he’s all sappy. I’ll miss ya’ too, big brother. Good luck with the commander. Call me the minute you get out of the meeting.”
Jimmy nodded and headed out the door.
All too soon, he was at the base and standing in the commander’s open doorway.
“Sir? May I speak with you?” Jimmy had both the newspaper and his note from the doc rolled up in his hand. He only hoped he would need the second after he showed the commander the first.
“Gordon. Come on in. It’s good to see you back, son.”
The question remained, was he back to stay? Jimmy swallowed and tried to gather his nerve. Oh, boy. This was going to be tough.
“Sir. I have to show you something. I want you to know, if you want my resignation after seeing it, I’ll give it to you.”
He unrolled the paper and laid it on the desk facing his superior officer. The commander read it aloud, then sat quietly for a moment. “Well I have to say, that headline is far more creative than the one I read.”
Reaching under his desk, the commander pulled a different paper out of the garbage and pushed it toward Jimmy.
Dickson’s Fiancée and ???
“She was never engaged to Senator Dickson’s son, sir.”
“Oh, good. That makes it all right then.” The commander was famous for his sarcasm. He shook his head, “Tell me this, why is it every time one of you Gordons falls in love, it’s a headache for me? First your brother is pummeling Williams over that bartender…”
Jimmy raised a brow. Trey and Jack had fought over Carly? That he hadn’t heard. He’d have to remember to ask.
The commander continued, “Then I’m hearing rumors about Jack’s new girl being involved with the mob.”
How the hell had the commander heard that? Maybe somebody had plied Matt with some bourbon. Meanwhile, the commander was still ranting.
“And now, you and the governor’s daughter.” He leaned way back in his chair and waited.
“I apologize, sir. I didn’t know who she was the night of the mission when we met—” Jimmy’s explanation was cut short by the commander’s creative and colorful cursing.
“Now I recognize her. She’s the redhead from the party. The night—”
“Yes, sir.” No need to rehash this again. He’d already gotten enough of a reminder about his breaking protocol from the commander the morning after and from Jack yesterday when he’d recognized Lia. “I swear, sir, I hadn’t contacted her at all after that night. We ran into each other purely by accident yesterday and that is when I found out who she is. You need to know, I’m not willing to give her up, sir. I realize undercover work is a major part of our missions and that dating a politician’s daughter will put me in the spotlight no matter how hard I try to stay out of it, which is why I’m ready to resign if you ask.”
The commander let out a frustrated sigh. “You’re a stupid man, Gordon.”
Uh, oh. Here it comes.
“You have the kind of night I heard over the comm unit with a girl who looks like that and you don’t call her?”
Jimmy couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, sir. She wasn’t happy about it either.”
“Listen, Gordon. Your undercover career was already over. You were compromised. You don’t think your face hasn’t been sent to every terrorist in the known world already?”
“I guess I hadn’t thought about it. Yes, sir, you’re right.”
“But that doesn’t mean I want you to resign. You are a valuable member of this team, with more skills than just the ability to blend with terrorists. And I’m thinking having you be the heartthrob who’s dating the governor’s daughter will make you kind of the poster boy representing all the brave, red-blooded all-American soldiers on this base. That would make it look really bad if the governor allowed Senator Dickhead to shut us down.”
“Yes, sir.” Jimmy smiled.
The commander nearly giggled, if that was possible. “I’d watch my back for a while, if I were you. Dickhead Junior is not going to be too happy about being made a fool of on the front page. Go on home, Gordon. I’ll see you tomorrow with the rest of team for a zero-eight-hundred end-of-this-fucking-furlough briefing. Oh, and if you want to marry her and pop out a few cute babies, I wouldn’t be opposed to that either. The press loves babies.”
Jimmy wouldn’t be opposed to that himself, in time. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”
He arrived home feeling far lighter than when he’d left. Dressed in a pair of his navy cotton sweatpants and a grey USMC T-shirt, Lia greeted him at the door. He lifted her in his arms and kissed her hard.
She pulled away and he saw the concern on her face. “Tell me what happened. I’ve been going crazy.”
He smiled. “Everything’s fine. Move in with me, Lia.”
“What?” She frowned and laughed at the same time.
“It felt really good coming home to you just now. I want you here like this every time I walk in that door. I know this place isn’t much. If you want we can move into a bigger one, but live with me, wherever we end up.”
A smile lit her face. “Okay.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “Yes, really.”
He squeezed her hard and then realized he was hard too. Still carrying her, he headed for the bedroom.
Lia laughed. “Is this what my life is going to be like when I live with you? Nothing but sex day and night?”
“Yup.” He grinned at the thought.
She pursed her lips as if considering the idea. “I guess I can live with that.”
“Good, because I was thinking maybe we could try that thing we did in the shower at the hotel again.”
Her eyes opened wide and then she smirked. “You are a very bad boy. That’s one of the many reasons why I love you.”
He stopped mid-step. “You love me?”
“Yes, James Gordon. I do.”
Lia loved him. With a whoop, Jimmy spun her in a circle while she laughed and kissed him.
He stopped their motion so he could stare into her sky-blue eyes. “That’s a very good thing, darlin’, because I love you too.”
Since he still held her in the air, Lia was level with him. He saw the emotion in her eyes when she spoke. “I believe you really do.”
“Of course I do, woman. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. Now can we go to bed?”
“Yes, unless you’d rather take me directly to the shower instead.” She raised one red eyebrow prettily.
“Damn, I’m going to really like living with you.” He carried her toward the bathroom attached to his room, and this time he was locking his bedroom door behind them.
About the Author
As an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance in genres including military, cowboy, ménage and paranormal, Cat Johnson uses her computer so much she wore the letters off the keyboard within a year. She is known for her creative marketing and research practices. Consequently, Cat owns an entire collection of camouflage shoes for book signings and a fair number of her consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living. In her real life, she’s been a marketing manager, professional harpist, bartender, tour guide, radio show host, Junior League president, sponsor of a bull riding rodeo cowboy, wife and avid animal lover.
To learn more about Cat, please visit www.catjohnson.net. Send an email to Cat at [email protected], friend her on Myspace at www.mypace.com/authorcatjohnson or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cat_johnson.
Look for these titles by Cat Johnson
Now Available:
Red, Hot & Blue
Trey
Jack
Rough Stock
Studs in Spurs
Unridden
Bucked
Coming Soon:
Red, Hot, & Blue
Jared
Studs in Spurs
Ride
The best way to heal a broken heart is to jump right back on the horse. So to speak…
Jack
© 2010 Cat Johnson
Red, Hot & Blue, Book 2
After watching the girl he’s crushed on for years fall for his best friend, the last thing special operative Jack Gordon wants is a vacation. If cooling his heels doesn’t drive him crazy, doing it under his family’s scrutiny will.
But once he’s back home things get more than a little interesting. The new farm hand is cute, sexy—and his instincts tell him she’s got something to hide. Luckily, he’s got the skills and the backup to find out what.
Gordon Equine is the perfect place for Niccolina Campolini. The Gordons pay in room, board and cash. And they don’t ask questions. Perfect for a girl on the run…until Jack shows
up. Sexy as hell and far too inquisitive, Jack strikes sparks and suspicions that put both her body and her heart in danger.
Jack knows better than to trust a woman with as many shadows as Nicki, but the heat waves of their attraction are messing with his focus. And when her secrets catch up with her, he’s not sure if he’s protecting her from something, or protecting his family from her…
This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.
Warning: This book contains extremely stupid gangsters bearing guns, a bored team of special operatives looking for some action, and one Southern gentleman guaranteed to charm your panties off.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Jack:
Nicki leaned against the fence, watching the newborn in the corral with his mother. She sighed and tried to pinpoint what she was feeling. Contentment, she decided. She finally felt semi-safe for the first time in a month of being on the run. Although she feared she would never be truly safe again. Not as long as the man she was hiding from still lived and breathed. At least she could allow herself to relax just a little bit here at the farm.
She was about as far from New York as she could get. Who would think to look for her buried away here in the Deep South on a small horse-breeding farm? Certainly not the thick-necked imbecile she’d run from. As long as the Gordon family accepted her without question, and continued to pay her in cash and give her a place to live, she was set. She could drop off the radar indefinitely.
The colt walked slowly up to the fence and nuzzled her hand. She ran her hand over him. “You are such a sweetie.”