Safe in His Arms

by Billi Jean

  The shot brought a grin to Dare’s face and he tipped his head to the side towards some blonde eyeing him. “Ah, bro, I’ll find out tonight, right?”

  “Yeah, maybe.” But Mac wouldn’t be sitting by sipping a beer, thinking of Mandy. He’d be with her, maybe not in bed, but he’d be near her, talking, just sitting with her, maybe watching a movie, or something normal, with her. Or in bed. If she wanted him in her bed, he wasn’t denying her. He was dying for her. Dare had it wrong. Mac would love Mandy morning, noon, and night and never tire of her. He planned to love her every second in between until they were too damn old to do more than hold hands.

  “Just keep an eye out. Give me some time to just enjoy something for a change, would ya?” he asked. “Dancing tonight, with Mandy.”

  Daren grew serious quickly. “Sure thing, man. You got worries?”

  “No, no worries, just—” He cut off, hearing Mandy laughing above the surf. He just felt uneasy this close to something he’d wanted for far too long. The sun had pretty much sunk into the ocean but the girls carried on like they hadn’t been in the water all day. He shook his head when Lacey dunked Mandy then fell back when Mandy broke free to jump her. They were having fun. “Let me have some fun, ‘kay?”

  “No worries then, man. I got this covered. You know there’s five more on the beach. Ace has half the Navy out there. Go get some fun while you can.”

  Chapter Five

  Mac watched Mandy dancing to the beat of the low music threading through the club. She was wearing a sundress, a halter-top again, this time all in yellow with the dress barely making it to mid-thigh. The fabric managed to cup every inch of her as she twisted and swayed to the beat. There was no back to the thing, merely more fabric cupping her ass and leaving her shoulders and slender spine free and clear. When she’d walked out of the elevator with Lacey, he’d nearly swallowed his tongue. He’d had to broaden his stance to keep his erection from being obvious. The only saving grace he’d had was that she’d walked right up to him, letting him guide her out of the hotel and down to the club where they’d planned a night of dancing.

  He felt like he’d done nothing but watch her all day. Snorkelling, she’d simply let go and had fun. Fun. He hadn’t had fun in years, but with Mandy, an hour into snorkelling and he felt like he could have spent the rest of his life just watching her ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ over the world she’d discovered under the sea.

  They’d shared fish tacos at a beach shack. She’d convinced him to put mangoes on his, which had proved to be damn good, then she’d teased him about eating all his, then most of hers. After they’d walked along the shore, simply walked. She’d not pressed him for talk, and like a coward, he’d soaked in every moment with her, ignoring the issues simmering in the air between them.

  He’d never been so damn happy. Well, except for the hard-on killing him. A man could damage himself being erect for this long. But one look at her smiling face and the shadows of hurt in her eyes that she tried to hide, and he knew he had to go slow.

  From the dance floor, he watched her, sipping his beer, while she twirled and spun next to Lacey and Katya. The redhead said something to Eagle, and Mac watched Mandy laugh until she had to hold her stomach. Lacey did the same and Katya grinned. The three of them were having a hell of a time.

  Mandy turned then and caught him looking. She smiled, slowed her laugh, and headed through the growing crowd on the dance floor. She looked good. So good, he wanted to eat every inch of her. Starting with her tiny toes in those damn high-heeled sandals all the way to the insides of her slim thighs. He wanted to park himself there, breathe her in, and take her to such heights of passion she’d never be able to live without his touch.

  “Why aren’t you dancing?”

  He blinked and stood, clearly off his game if his imagination could get so caught up in a sexual fantasy that she almost had to pull out her own chair. “I’m supposed to watch our seats, remember?” He guided her to sit next to him, surprised she’d stop the fun to keep him company.

  “Well, it’s not like anyone will take our seats, right?” She bent close to him when she spoke, and he inhaled the scent of her. Warm, a bit flowery, but an all-Mandy scent he had never forgotten. The sundress exposed the tops of her rounded breasts, giving the natural curves of her body a soft lift. He wanted to sink into her cleavage.

  “Give me a drink of your beer?”

  He handed her the beer, letting their fingers touch, and watched her tip the bottle to her lips. God damn, she was sexy. Everything about Mandy was sexy without her even knowing it. That turned him on even more. She’d not changed the way she viewed herself—oh, there was more confidence there, but shyness too, that subtle surprise at his compliments. The rosy glow to her cheeks when she caught him staring. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was everything he ever wanted. Not just her amazing body, oh, he wanted that, but he wanted her heart, too. The little kind things she did. He wanted that attention, that giving side of her directed at him.

  She lowered the beer and he fisted his hands at the wetness now on her pink lips. The things he wanted to do to her mouth were probably illegal in some countries. She handed him back the beer, giving him a knowing smile that tightened his gut and nearly had him coming in his jeans.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” Before he could say a damn thing, she leaned in and put her hand on his thigh. “A girl might think you’ve got other things on your mind with a look like that.”

  Surprised and fucking thrilled by her boldness, he gathered his frayed wits enough to say, “Shit, sugar, with you around, I’ve always got other things in mind for you.”

  “Oh really? For me, huh?”

  “Damn straight. You’re getting me hotter than hell.” Damn she was bold now. Now, or had she always been this way, and he’d missed it by holding back from her? She’d always loved to tease him, subtle little cute stuff, not sexual at all, but now, as a woman, she dished it out and he lapped every word up.

  She laughed and lightly brushed that hand up along his thigh right over the erection bulging under his jeans and on up to his chest. “You’re so hard, Mac. I hate to think of you being hurt like this, though.” She lingered her fingers over his scar and frowned. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

  “It’s in the past now, sugar.”

  “Yeah, but it was bad, wasn’t it?” Her eyes darkened, the fun gone and replaced with hurt—for him this time.

  “Bad, but over. What doesn’t kill you—”

  “Makes you a dumb-ass!” She laughed playfully and swatted his chest with her knuckles. He took her hand and grinned at her. He loved her lightheartedness. Her hand was warm, small, and perfectly fitted his. She curled her fingers through his and her face flushed. He still made her nervous, he guessed by her rapid pulse, but she wasn’t running from him, or avoiding him.

  “You remember.”

  “Yeah,” she breathed, “I remember.”

  “Rob loved that, but hell if he wasn’t right, huh? I survived to know how much of a dumb-ass I was.”

  “Mac, you’re many things, but dumb isn’t one of them.”

  The way she said that twisted him up inside. She believed that. She still believed he was a hero. After all he’d done, part of her still saw him as a man of worth. “I was, with you.”

  Her gaze skipped to his and something painful flashed in her eyes. Before he could ask what he’d said to upset her, Eagle and Katya joined them. She kept her hand in his, though, squeezing it lightly once.

  Katya bent and hugged Mandy. “Hey, you! Come on, Lacey loves this song. Come on, let the men talk. We’ll go dance one more, then join them.”

  Mandy met his eyes, but quickly nodded to Katya and let go of his hand. Katya pulled her up and tossed him a wink. The brat had interrupted them on purpose. He didn’t see animosity, though, in her green eyes, so whatever she was up to, she wasn’t angry with him. He breathed easier. If the girls were against him, he’d have a hell of a time getting Mandy alo
ne.

  Eagle moved in and tugged Katya back by the hem of her blue sundress, gave her a smirk at her giggle and kissed her on the neck. “We’ll get some drinks. What do you want, Kat?”

  “Whatever you’re having, love.” Katya kissed Eagle long enough that Mandy smiled over at him and backed up when he motioned for her to come closer. He mouthed ‘Chicken’ at her and she flapped her arms like wings.

  He settled back in his seat, promising Mandy with his eyes that she’d be at least getting a kiss before the night was over. Her delicate eyebrows shot up but she grinned at him, then turned and wiggled her lush ass out on the dance floor with Katya to join Lacey.

  “Damn, those girls are having fun,” Eagle called over the new song.

  “Yeah, they are.”

  “It’s good to see, you know?”

  Mac nodded. Lacey deserved this time away from all the shit she’d been through, and if it brought Mandy back to him he’d take her out dancing every night.

  “One of us is supposed to go check on the men outside. Want me to go?” Eagle offered, already pushing back in his chair.

  “Hell, no. I’ll go. When I get back, though, I’m dancing.” With Mandy. She shot him a flirty smile and his blood heated. Taking this slow might be hard, but he wanted her to be happy.

  “Sounds good, man. I’ll hold down the table. You go get some air and check the unit.”

  Mac finished his bottle of Corona before nodding to Eagle. Lacey still wasn’t safe. The men outside were there to see she had a good time, a safe, good time.

  He stopped at the bar and ordered another round for the table, and some of the snacks Mandy always loved—nachos with cheese and a veggie platter with artichoke dip—before heading outside to do a quick check. Everyone was in place. He checked in twice, making sure that nothing had come up before he headed back towards the club.

  Maybe he should have ordered some of the grilled chicken with pineapple, too. She needed to eat. He didn’t want her drunk. He wasn’t even buzzing. He’d not allow that. Memories of the night he’d claimed her shot through his mind. They’d both been drinking but he’d not allowed either of them to get drunk. He’d been scared as shit to hurt her. Besides, he’d been drunk enough on her. He’d gone slow, so damn slow and careful it had hurt him when she’d sucked in a painful breath when he’d pushed inside her.

  He could still feel her. Over the years, he’d given up trying to figure it out, but he could close his eyes and still feel her, smell her sweet scent. Her pussy had been so damn pretty. A guy never knew that shit, that a woman’s body could be so amazing, so beautiful—she’d been pretty, her pussy lips pink and rounded and glistening from his kisses. She’d been drenched for him and he’d been harder than he’d ever been in his life. He’d tried to go slow. He was a guy, a big guy, thick and looked too big for her all around. But she’d taken all ten inches and had whispered against his neck how good he felt when he’d finally eased into her up to his balls. He’d made her come that first time. He’d never forgotten the feeling of rightness that had settled over him at the sound of her softly whispering his name.

  “Hey, bro, what’s up? Not inside?”

  He glanced up from contemplating the past to see Trigger walking up with two other guys he remembered from his time in Iraq. Ace had brought them to a club a few blocks from their hotel, still on the beach, but he’d not expected to see anyone he knew outside of the men already stationed around the beach and street.

  “Just getting some air.” Mac crossed his arms and settled back on the patio railing next to the back entrance to the club. He could still watch the inside of the club through the floor to ceiling glass, but he couldn’t make out more than figures from where he stood.

  Trigger eyed the patio, the outdoor bar and the outdoor dance square then the inside of the club before grinning at him. “Sweet place, huh? Great that I happened to be here, kinda perfect really.”

  Mac frowned, remembering Trigger hadn’t been invited to the wedding. Really only a few had been invited, mostly just the men who knew Lacey’s dad and Lacey. It was more hush-hush than their missions were. So how has Trigger heard of the wedding? He’d called him when he’d been with Mandy in her room. Now he was here, like he’d known they were all here, but Mac hadn’t focused on how odd that really was until now.

  “How did that happen? Just in the area?”

  Trigger tipped his beer, took a long swallow before tossing it in a nearby trash can. He grinned. “Yeah, landed a sweet position here with the Navy. Doing some training.”

  “Nice.” Mac nodded to the two other men, remembering them as vaguely part of another unit, but neither were guys he knew very well. “You two here as well? Liking the beaches?”

  “Shit yeah, and the babes.” The black-haired guy, Dave, if Mac remembered correctly, glanced around the area, already sizing up a few of the women over in the pool area. “Same game, different field.”

  “Shit, Dave, is that all you think about?” Trigger settled next to Mac, looking like he was going to stay a while.

  “Better than my hand, man.” Dave laughed and saluted them both with his beer. “Catch up with you later, Wolf.”

  “Yeah, he’s all about the girls,” Trigger grumbled as Dave took off to intercept two blondes.

  The guy next to him, Kev, laughed. “Who isn’t? Not all guys are like you, selective.”

  Trigger didn’t seem happy with the comeback, but Kev set his beer down on the bar and called out for another then turned back to ask, “Hear about the Gonzales fuck-up?”

  Mac froze already in the process of standing to leave. “No, what fuck-up?”

  Trigger nodded. “Yeah, man, they let them out. All of them. Rumour says they’re here.”

  “Here? In Hawaii?” Mac demanded.

  Trigger said, “Yeah, seems they got out on some kind of deal with the Feds. Rumours are flying, though, about them being after the crew that caught them.” He paused and snorted. “Like that will ever happen. Ghosts, all of them, anyway. Bastard cartels are full of themselves and think they can hit our best. Those guys are long gone. Shit happened, what? Five years ago?”

  Five years and a few days. And most of the crew that busted the cartel was right here on the island.

  “That’s some kind of shit. Out, huh?” Mac asked, deflecting the odd question. Trigger had to know when that shit went down.

  “Yep, out, even the woman, what was her name?” Trigger’s dark eyes flicked to Mac when he spoke but moved off quickly to scan the inside dance floor.

  “How they get out?” Mac asked, again ignoring the question.

  Kev swallowed half his beer and set it down. “That’s just it. No one is talking yet on that. But there’s no way the cartel can get names on our men. No way. But I’ve heard there’s a team being set up, you know, to see that the Gonzales make it back to Mexico and stay.”

  Trigger laughed and winked. “For good.”

  Mac relaxed. He’d been in the service then on his own assignments too long. Shit turned him suspicious and everyone into an enemy. Not Trigger. The guy was so square he made a priest stand up straighter. Trigger was half Mexican, Mac knew, raised Catholic, and still went home for the holidays. He’d invited Mac for years. Mac had never accepted, though.

  “That’s good to hear. You all kick some butt, okay?” Mac stood and shut down his crazy thoughts. Mandy was doing this to him. Shit if he could think straight when all his brainpower shot down to his dick.

  “Will do, bro,” Kev said frowning when Mac nodded to them. “Aw, man, you can’t go. We just got here.” He tried to hand him a Corona, but Mac shook his head and stepped back.

  “We’ll catch up later.” Mac dug his hands into his pocket. “I gotta go shake it on the dance floor, you know?”

  Kev laughed. “Fine, that’s cool, more women for me. God knows Trigger never indulges.”

  “Yeah, well, Trigger, you take care, man. Watch your back,” Mac said.

  Trigger sipped his beer
. “I will. You do the same.”

  Mac headed back inside, feeling like parts of a puzzle were dangling in front of him if he could only figure them out. Frustration made him push through the crowds until he spotted Lacey and Ace by Mandy. Eagle was at the other end of the club, still parked at their table, but with Katya sitting on his lap now. Dare stood near the other door and nodded when their gazes met.

  Still, something felt wrong, or not wrong, but there, a piece of something he needed, but didn’t know he needed. Maybe the Gonzalez shit had him more screwed up than he thought. If they were here…

  Blowing out a frustrated breath, Mac settled his sights back on Mandy in time to see her drift towards the back of the club. He followed. He’d have to talk to Ace. If there was even a rumour of those assholes being free, he’d have to tell Ace. Eagle and Dare needed to know, but, other than that, no one else had been involved in their arrests. Sanchez was in LA, messed up with a deep undercover, and Aaron had stayed home with a sick sister. Of all the men, Ace and Mac were the most responsible for the Gonzales ring going down.

  His instincts flared to life, warning him something more was up, something dangerous was brewing, and, for some reason, it was pointed at Mandy.

  He lost sight of her and panic settled in his gut.

  If Mandy were hurt… He didn’t let the thought settle but pushed through the crowded bar.

  Chapter Six

  Mac caught up to Mandy near the women’s room and pulled her to a gentle stop by her upper arm. She twisted free and turned with a stance he would have been proud of any other time, but now sent a chill down his back. When had she learnt such a defensive move?

  “Hey, sugar, just me, Mac.”

  She softened immediately and shifted her gaze nervously off him. “Sorry, you surprised me.”

  “Yeah, got that.” Before he could say more, she brushed her hair back behind an ear and tilted her head at him.