“Why not? Your work goes with you. Jason is homeschooled. What’s stopping you?”
She blinked. What was stopping her? Eyes narrowing, she said, “I think the biggest stop is that I just met you. I know next to nothing about you, and—”
“Okay, hold it right there. “What do you need to know, other than that Jason’s my son and I’m willing to let you adopt him?”
The air lodged in Bethany’s chest. “You are?”
Slade nodded. “Before we get there, I’d like to find out just how Jason might fit into my life. I’d like to see him on my own turf and I can help him. Not just because he very well could be my son, but also because he is Tayra’s son. She became part of my family when she married Brock, and that’s never changed. But I also—Bethany, I’m here to help you, too. I don’t walk away from someone who could use a hand.”
She tipped her head. She wasn’t sure what to do with this macho guy. He was like a force of nature. She could protest all she wanted that she could look after herself, and she knew he’d listen, and then he’d fill her fridge and cook her food to eat. He’d shown that. Voice dry, she told him, “Your armor’s showing again.”
He touched the front of his shirt. “Damn, I thought I had that buttoned up. Come on. It’s bull that you don’t know me. Tayra knew me—and you knew me through her. So what else do you need to know?”
She let out a breath. She knew him, but he was still a complete stranger to her. How could she trust him with what was most precious to her?
“How about just a little more than that you once slept with my sister?”
***
Slade wanted to roll his eyes. She was making this tough on him. Intentionally. Okay, if that was the price, he was willing to pay. He picked up the plates, carried them to the sink, and left them there. Coming back, he sat down. “What else do you want? Resume? Net worth?”
“Family background,” she said.
“My people are my family. I’ve got a couple of guys, brothers—Trent and Travis—you’ll meet them in San Diego. They’re good folks. Computer geeks. You’ll like ‘em. They’ll like you. You know Brock already. He’s part of the team I’ve got in the Middle East right now. You already know I was a SEAL.”
She propped her elbows on the table. “Why’d you leave?”
“One too many missions of doing the wrong thing for what I hoped were the right reasons. But I wasn’t sure. When it gets so that you can’t tell if you’re one of the good guys or the bad guys, it’s time to step out. It was time for me. I took Brock with me, called in some favors, and opened my own security firm. Brock never wanted to run the business side of it, so that’s how it became my firm, not our firm. Now I get to vet my clients, know for sure if they’re in trouble because of someone else or because they’re doing things they shouldn’t be doing.”
“Is it dangerous?” Slade gave her a flat look, and Bethany said, “Okay, dumb question. I already know it pays well.”
Slade nodded. Reaching out, he put a hand over Bethany’s. “Something else you should know—I don’t want to take Jason from you, but I’m not going to let you shut me out either.”
She pulled away. “This is where I get the bad cop part of the lecture.”
“It’s not a lecture—it’s me explaining how it’s going to be. Yes, I’ve got the money to hire lawyers who could take Jason from you. That’s not in Jason’s best interest. But if you make this a fight, I’ll fight. I’d rather find out if we can work together on this—if…dammit, Bethany, I want to see if this spark between us is something that could be more.”
Standing up, he took her by the wrist and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her until his heart was pounding harder than it had on his run. He held her face between his hands and kissed her until she opened to him, and softened, and gave a groan that told him all he needed to know about how she felt about him.
Stepping back, he asked, “Any more questions?”
She licked her lips. It took all of his control not to sweep her up and carry her off to the guest room where he could take his time with the next kiss. She nodded. “Just one. What’s the weather like this time of year in San Diego?”
Chapter 12
On the flight to San Diego, Bethany slept. From the dark circles under her eyes and the way she simply crashed when she could, Slade assumed she really needed some rest. He set Jason up with a hand-held video game, and Slade caught up on work issues.
It seemed that Trent had made contact with the group that was mostly likely responsible for some of the sabotage in Jawhara—he’d reported that he was working his way into a position of trust there. Travis emailed Slade a list of theme parks and rides that a kid Jason’s age would have fun on. Slade shook his head over that and texted back, Don’t jump the gun.
The jet touched down in San Diego on time, the limo met them on the tarmac, and Slade was amused to see both Jason’s and Bethany’s eyes widen over the full Slade Security treatment. Jason climbed into the limo and had to press every button and work every control. Bethany kept trying to corral him, and finally Slade put his hand on her jean-clad thigh. “Let him be. First time in a limo should be special.”
“What’s so special about this for me?” she asked.
He leaned forward. Her eyes darkened. He could see the pulse quicken in her throat. Reaching across her, he popped open the bar. “I had that Oregon microbrew you like, stocked.”
She punched his side with a fist. Grinning, he caught her hand and hung onto it. How long had it been since he’d held hands with any woman? Had he ever?
The driver took them directly to the appointment with the specialist—Slade saw no reason to put that off. Dr. Baxter met them in his office, not far from UCSD Medical Center. In his forties and balding, he fit the classic profile of a doctor, but he also looked damn fit and photos of him in marathons hung on his office walls. He took half an hour to meet with Bethany and Jason, then took Jason in for a full physical.
Slade sat in the plush waiting room, trying to focus on work emails and texts and not to think about Jason. What if Baxter couldn’t help the boy? Would that be so terrible? He thought about Jason’s love of baseball—the kid had sucked at basketball—and started an online search for tickets to at least get Jason to a game.
Baxter came out with Bethany—she looked worried, but Baxter didn’t. Slade stood.
“I’d like to admit Jason for an overnight at UCSD. There’s a series of tests I’d like to run, including blood workups, and we need him to fast for them. We’re also going to run a study that charts the release of certain hormones during sleep cycles.”
Slade nodded. “Sounds good.”
Bethany hugged herself. “We can’t do this later?”
Slade put a hand on her back and rubbed. “We’ll get this over with, then we’ll take Jason to a ball game. Don’t worry. I’ll book us in next door to the hospital.”
Jason came out, a candy sucker in his mouth. Slade ruffled his hair. “You okay staying overnight with Dr. Baxter?”
Jason shrugged, but Slade thought he saw a shadow in the boy’s eyes. He squatted down to put himself at eye level with Jason. “You ace these tests and I’ve got tickets lined up for the World Series—seats right off of home plate.”
Eyes going wide, Jason glanced at Bethany and back to Slade. He looked at Dr. Baxter and back to Slade. “If I stay two nights, can we go to two games?”
Slade stuck out his hand. “It’s a deal.”
Grinning, Jason followed them out of the clinic. The check in at the hospital went smoothly, except for Bethany’s pale face and her clipped tone. She put on a smile for Jason, but Slade could tell it was faked. She was making Jason nervous.
Slade leaned closer to Jason. “Hey, buddy, make it look good for her, will you? She’s totally freaked about this.”
Jason sat up, nodded, and turned to his aunt. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the doorway of his room. “You’d better go out to dinner with Slade tonight. Go to a mov
ie or do something fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He just about shoved her out.
Giving Jason a nod and a salute, Slade walked out and met Bethany in the hallway. “We’re going to have to work on his subtlety.”
Bethany glanced at him. “Yeah, but he’s not wrong. If we’re going out, I want to check in to a room and get a bath first.”
Slade had booked the Hillcrest House B&B—all of it. The house was a California Craftsman, the rooms elegant, and their hosts left dinner ready for them in the kitchen, along with a local wine from Temecula. Slade approved all of it. He glanced at Bethany. She was walking around, arms folded, as if afraid to touch anything.
“Pick any room you want. There are three bedrooms. I thought we could use this as a base for a few days, and we’re five minutes from the hospital. Ten if there’s traffic.” She nodded. He came over to her. “What is it?”
She looked at him, eyes huge in her heart-shaped face. “What if—?”
He put a finger on her lips. “We’re not going to think about that. Jason’s getting tests run—that’s it. Once we have tests, then we can figure out what comes next.”
She leaned into him, but she didn’t put her arms around him. “I’m…I’m not used to having help with this. Tayra…once she got sick, it really had to be all about her. I…”
He took her shoulders and turned her toward the stairs. “Bedrooms and bath are on the second floor. I’ll have the wine open and breathing, and you come down when you’re ready. Don’t feel like you have to dress up. We’re eating in, so make yourself at home.” He couldn’t resist. He kissed the top of her head and swatted her butt.
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Next time I’m making you buy me the most expensive dinner in town, buddy.”
A half hour later, she came downstairs with a towel wrapped around her head and a terrycloth robe wrapped around her. She looked pink cheeked from the hot water and relaxed. Slade poured her a glass of wine. He had the table set and headed into the kitchen to bring out the seafood casserole their hosts had left them. Bethany dug into it as if she hadn’t eaten in months. Slade sipped the wine—a dry, oaky Cabernet. He approved of it.
He ate a little, but mostly he watched Bethany. One damp curl had escaped her towel and stuck to her forehead. He watched her eat, picking out bites of the seafood she loved best and eating those first—scallops seemed to be a favorite, sipping her wine, careful about everything.
That was Bethany, he thought. So methodical about some things, such a mess about others. She’d neglected making repairs to Tayra’s house—probably hadn’t even noticed them, the same way she didn’t notice her own ancient VW—but she was careful with people. Careful with her work, too, going by what Trent had said about her.
Finishing her meal, she pushed back from the table and smiled. “I needed that.”
Slade put down his wine glass. “Good. But if I don’t kiss you in the next ten seconds, I’m going to do something really stupid.”
***
Bethany watched him lean across the table; her heart beating faster and her breath stalling in her lungs. The only light in the room came from the sunset, filtering through the open drapes of the window. When he was mere inches from her, she looked up into his eyes and was amazed at the heat and intensity she saw.
Slade pulled the towel from her hair and pushed his fingers into the strands. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured.
Her mouth parted in a gasp, as shivers traveled the length of her body. “Slade…”
He took her lips in a kiss that ignited desire under her skin. He framed her face in his hands and tilted her head, and the kiss shifted from sweet to passionate. She wanted him—had wanted him since she’d first laid eyes on him. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer.
Slade bent slightly, picking her up in his arms, never letting go of her mouth. He lifted her up and she gave a small shriek. He carried her up the stairs as if she weighed nothing, shouldering his way into the first bedroom he came to.
She wound her arms around his neck. “Is this smart?”
“Do we care?” he asked. He laid her down on the bed, following her down so that one knee rested on the mattress and his arms caged her body.
Pulling off the tie to her robe, he pushed it open and skimmed his hand down her side. She arched into his touch. “Slade,” she said again, only this time he heard the need in her voice.
He dipped his head and kissed the swells of her breast. She gave a soft hum. He moved to her other breast, kissing, licking, biting. She groaned and said, “If you don’t get out of those clothes now, I’m not going to be accountable for rips and tears.”
Grinning, he pulled back. He stripped off his shirt, popping the buttons. Tossing it behind him, he reached for his belt, but she got there first. She unbuckled, unzipped, unfastened. He kicked off his pants, his loafers, and had to lean over to strip off his socks. She touched his back, traced the tattoo on his upper arm.
Turning, he took her into his arms. Her breasts pressed into the hard muscles of his chest. “What’s the tat for?”
“Honor above all—our unit all got the same one. Now, less talk, more action.” He pushed her down onto the bed.
It was like being swept up in a windstorm, or a wave—she couldn’t control anything. He held her, stroked her, had her begging for more. He filled her senses with his scent, his touch, which seemed to leave a trail of fire over her skin. He moved away from her and rifled a pocket in his pants. She heard the tear of a condom, and grabbed it from him, smoothing it over his length with her fist. It was his turn to groan. He glanced at her, eyes dark.
She lay back and spread her legs wide. He leaned over, fit himself to her, and slipped in with one slow thrust.
Head back, she smiled. “Move!” she told him, raising her legs to wrap her ankles around his lower back. She arched up, forcing his body deeper into her own, giving him no choice. He wasn’t the only one who could be demanding.
The pressure built inside of her. He was so big, so…so everything. The room filled with the scent of her sex and his sweat. She gave a small cry as he hit deeper. She let go, lost herself to sensation, to the feel of his body against hers, to the hard pounding, to the heat, to the explosion that seemed to burst inside of her. Slade called out her name and wet heat spurted into her. He held still and used one shaking arm to keep his full body weight off of her.
With a groan, he rolled onto his side, taking her with him, and pulling her against his side.
“Slade,” she murmured. Was this going to be like it was with him and Tayra? One night and that was it? That was how it had been with most of her other boyfriends. She’d never kept a guy around for very long. Why should she? She had her life, she liked her life—and Slade was the kind of guy who would take it over, if she let him. She couldn’t do that. But, oh, he felt so good.
He brushed fingers over her face, and whispered, “Shush. Rest now. We’ll talk later.”
***
Slade held Bethany in his arms as she slept. Her breathing deepened, her body relaxed—she’d needed this as much as he had. He kept thinking about what it would be like to wake up next to her—what would it be like to wake up with her every day? The concept was so foreign it kept him awake, and kept him looking at his priorities.
He’d never bought into the ‘till death do you part’ stuff. He knew about brotherhood, about the bond between guys who fought and bled together. But this…this was something else. He just couldn’t quite figure out what to do with it…with her.
Bethany was strong. Caring. Beautiful. She got to him in ways he’d never had any woman get to him, not even Tayra. She’d been all need and vulnerability. Those things didn’t fit with Bethany.
The logical thing here would be to marry Bethany, and they’d adopt Jason together. But then what? Did he drag the pair of them around the world with him? Did he leave them at home, and would Bethany be like Tayra, a woman who hated the neglect, the worry, the fear? None of
that seemed like a good idea. He sure as hell didn’t want to end up watching Bethany walk away from him.
He tightened his arms around her. Hell no. Letting her go wasn’t an option, but he wasn’t sure about anything else.
Feeling her stir in his arms, he looked down to see her watching him, her eyes glimmering in the moonlight. Slade reached up and flicked on a light. He guessed it was time to talk after all.
Chapter 13
Bethany squinted against the sudden light in the room. She glanced around at the peach walls. The bed was soft and big. They’d wrecked the sheets and coverlet. She could also almost hear the wheels turning in Slade’s head. She vacillated between feeling like this had been a mistake and wanting to insist that they do it again.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked her, stealing her question.
She traced the hard abs on his stomach. “What happens next?”
Slade brushed her hair back from her forehead. “What do you want to happen?”
Bethany propped her fist on his chest and her chin on her fist. “I don’t really know.”
“Let’s start with Jason.”
Bethany sighed. “I know he’s not my son, but I’m not letting him go.”
Picking up her free hand, he kissed her fingers. “I’m not asking that.”
“Yeah, but you live in San Diego.”
“And you’re opposed to moving? Something you don’t like about palm trees? I have a very nice and very big house on the beach. Four empty bedrooms. It doesn’t need work to fix it up. You could sell Tayra’s place and put the money into a trust for Jason.”
Bethany pushed away from him and sat up. “It sounds like you’ve got it all worked out already. Are you asking me about this, or telling me?”
He blinked, and for once, he looked a little uncertain. “What do you think?”
She shook her head. “I think we need to do what you said—get the test results and then figure it out.”
Slade watched her for a minute. He pulled her against his chest. “Okay, that works.”
His Secret Child (Slade Security Team Series Book 2) Page 6