Danger Deception Devotion The Firsts

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  Petey grabbed up the trays and hurried out the door, almost knocking down the XO as he entered and upsetting the whole tray. “Sorry, sir,” he said.

  Joe said nothing, just nodded, and his eyes widened at Eric and how he must look, standing there barefoot in his pants and an open shirt. Then his gaze landed on Abby’s red dress lying in a heap on the floor. Closing the door behind him, Joe strode around the cabin. “So, where is she?”

  Eric gestured with his head toward the bedroom door. “In there, sleeping.” Eric stepped around the desk and peeked down at a sleeping Rachel, who looked absolutely peaceful. Then he spied what Joe was staring at in the middle of his cabin floor: Abby’s red dress and underwear. He scooped them up and tossed them on the sofa, and he didn’t miss the smirk on Joe’s face.

  “I won’t stay long.… I presume everything’s okay.”

  “Just out of curiosity, whose idea was it to tell me the admiral was on board?” Eric asked.

  Joe chuckled under his breath and then raised his hand in a teasing sort of way.

  “I thought so. That seemed too devious for Petey. I’ll be sure to get you back for that one.”

  “Oh, I think you already have. Don’t forget I’ve shared my cabin with you for the past few weeks. I do hope you won’t be returning.”

  Eric flinched with the last remark, realizing he had been quite the bastard since the day of his wedding. He was surprised the crew had tolerated him so well.

  Joe casually walked over to the baby, who was sleeping blissfully in her makeshift bed. Shaking his head, he walked to the door. “I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed tonight,” he said, and he left.

  Eric allowed his thoughts to wander to his Abby, well-loved and sleeping in the next room. She was the simplest love he had ever known, with her pure innocence, no games or pretenses. It’s almost too good to be true, he thought to himself as he felt a rueful smile shining inside his heart. Looking over at the bedroom door again, he muttered under his breath, “You’re mine. By god, I won’t let you go.”

  He watched Rachel sleeping peacefully, her tiny thumb stuck in her mouth now, gently suckling. Bending over, he tucked the blankets around her to make sure she was snug and secure, feeling a rush of pure joy wash over him while he crouched down, just watching. Then, from out of nowhere, he was hit by a fleeting panic when he thought about what kind of father he would be. He didn’t know the first thing about it, and he scrubbed his hands down his face and headed back to his room and Abby.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Eric looked down at Abby, who was lying, peaceful and content, curled up and well sated in the middle his bed. The sight took his breath away, sucker punched him right in the gut. He left the door ajar so they could hear Rachel in the next room, and he took off his shirt and pants and tossed them onto the chair in the corner. Climbing into bed, he settled up against her, pulling the covers over them and running his hand gently over her stomach while pulling her closer to him.

  Hearing her murmur, he lifted her hair, kissing the back of her neck, holding her tightly in his embrace. He stopped her when she tried to roll over and face him. “Don’t move,” he whispered. Running his hand slowly down between her legs, he nudged them open, lifting her leg as he slipped a finger inside and heard a moan escape while she grasped his other arm, which encircled her waist. Slowly, he entered her from behind, anchoring her tightly to him, then lowering his head and taking her earlobe between his teeth, nibbling until he heard the sweet gasp as her breath caught. He slowed his pace, controlled his depth, pulling out and then back in.

  “Oh, Eric, please…”

  As he felt her begin to lose control, he reached up with one hand to cover her mouth, stifling the screams as he found her hardened nipple with his other hand and rubbed it in a circle. Plunging deep inside of her, he felt his control slipping, then teetering over the edge. He muffled his groan in her blond mass of hair as he buried his seed deep within her.

  “My God, I think I need a minute—no, maybe an hour until I can move again,” he said to her.

  She slid around in his arms and faced him, then reached up with her slender hand, sliding it over his rough cheeks.

  “I need to shave,” he said, then turned his head. He nipped at her hand and kissed her again. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked while tenderly running a finger over her jaw.

  She shook her head. “Is it always so wonderful?”

  “Yes, and it always will be. Now, enough talk; we need some sleep.”

  She snuggled her head against his shoulder. She was a perfect fit. The contentedness that washed over Eric was nothing he had ever experienced before. He listened to her steady, easy breathing as he allowed himself to slowly drift off to sleep.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Eric couldn’t keep the silly smile he knew was pasted ear to ear from his face. The last week had been the best week of his life, spending every night in Abby’s arms. As they now headed back home to port in Norfolk, he remembered the call from the admiral that had come through the morning after his reconciliation with Abby. He had been having breakfast with her when he received the news: They’d been ordered home.

  The crew’s adrenaline was pumping, and he could feel the joy come out of every wall and nook of his ship the closer they were to home.

  Joe put a call through to Mary-Margaret since Eric had already arranged for housing on base. She volunteered to take care of their basic needs so they’d have a bed, food, everything they needed in their home. When Joe warned Eric to expect everything handled, because Mary-Margaret didn’t do anything halfway, Eric hoped Abby would be okay with that.

  There was a lot to consider, and as the ship neared the homeport, he wondered about Seyed Hossein. With what he’d done by marrying Abby, well, he knew he’d made enemies, but not knowing and knowing what they were up to were two very different things. That old saying, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’—he’d made an enemy with the CIA, because there was a difference between taking an ordinary US citizen and taking the wife of someone in his position.

  Standing on the deck of the ship as it approached the port, Abby cradled Rachel. As they came in, the crew scrambled around her, readying the ship for docking. The crowd that was gathered could be heard as they approached, and it was something that filled every part of Eric with such joy that he couldn’t quite put it into words.

  Eric leaned down, and, with a subtle brush of his lips, he said, “It’s time you went back down. Petey will take you to my cabin. Wait there until I come and get you.”

  “But I want to watch us dock.”

  “This isn’t the time or place. When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed,” he said. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall over or get bumped by some over-exuberant sailor, and that was a very real possibility. Eric snapped his fingers in the air and got Petey’s attention. “Take my wife down, and stay with her until I come down.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Petey said.

  Eric could see Abby’s disappointment, but, to her credit, she left with Petey.

  ****

  Eric leaned against the frame of the open door to his cabin. He could still hear the roar of the crowd for their loved ones. He knew Mary-Margaret would be out there waiting for Joe in that crowd. He could hear the crew on deck, every one of them shouting and jumping, anxiously waiting to kiss and hug their wives, their girlfriends, anyone who was waiting for them. Eric now had Abby. He took her in with a full sweep of his eyes.

  “Thanks, Petey. You’re dismissed. Grab your gear.”

  The young man didn’t linger. “Thank you, Captain,” he said as he jumped out the door.

  “Are you ready to start your new life?” Eric asked as he stepped toward Abby and pulled her into his arms. Rachel was cooing from the cradle by the desk.

  Abby didn’t pull away but looked up at him with her chin resting on his chest. “Yes, as long as you’re with me.”

  Leaning down, he claimed those lus
cious lips, soft with passion, cupping her head as he took what was his. He was breathing heavily as he rested his forehead against hers. “My God, woman, what you do to me. Go pick up our girl. Let’s go home.”

  Abby lifted Rachel from her cradle, and Eric lifted the duffel bag packed with all their belongings, tossing it with ease over his shoulder and then leading them out.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Mary-Margaret was waiting for them when they disembarked from the ship. She was bouncing up and down when she saw Joe. She had blue eyes, short brown hair, round cheeks, and a slim figure. After she finished giving her husband a kiss, she looked over to Abby, who glanced at Eric and blushed. Mary-Margaret hit Eric in the arm.

  “Hey, what was that for? Joe, your wife just hit me.”

  Joe just laughed, and Abby wasn’t sure what to make of them.

  “I cannot believe you got married! Well, introduce me.” Mary-Margaret gestured with her hand for Eric to hurry up.

  “Abby, this tough broad here--”

  Mary-Margaret smacked his arm again. “Hey, be nice,” she said, jabbing her finger at him. “Abby, I’m Mary-Margaret.” She slid in between them, bumping Eric over with her hip, sliding her arm around Abby. “Now, you come with me. We’ll let these two sailors bring up the rear with the kids. Abby, that’s Taylor, my oldest. He’s ten, Janey is eight, and Steven is seven. As you see, Joe didn’t give me much of a break there for a while.” The kids were shouting and hanging off their dad. “Can I hold her?” Mary-Margaret asked, gesturing to Rachel. Abby just nodded, and Eric noticed she was looking a little overwhelmed. Mary-Margaret started fussing over the baby as she walked away with her in her arms.

  Eric picked up Abby’s hand, smiling at her, and pulled her along with him, following Joe, the kids, and Mary-Margaret. “I think you’ll really like Joe’s wife. She can be a little out there sometimes, but she’s put up with me all these years.”

  Eric stopped and watched her for a minute. She was taking everything in, and then she stepped closer to him and pulled the sweater she was wearing tightly around her.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “There’s just so many people. And just to be here… I didn’t expect all this.” When she looked up at him, she tried to smile, but there was something there in her eyes, and she looked away as if trying to hide it.

  “Abby, you’re safe here. We have a house on base waiting for us. No one gets on or off base without going through security, which is tight. There’s an alarm in the house.”

  She swept her hair back and peeked up at him. “You think I’m being silly?”

  “No, but I want you to feel safe.” He slid his arm around her and pulled her closer.

  Joe whistled and shouted from the purple minivan everyone was piling in, “Hey, you two, come on!”

  “Let’s go before they leave us behind and take Rachel home with them,” Eric said. And this time, when Abby smiled, there was light in her eyes.

  Epilogue

  Two years later

  Abby stood on the pier with the other Navy wives and kids. She felt the familiar butterflies churn in her stomach as she held tight to Rachel, now a rambunctious two-year-old with jet-black hair and dark eyes, like her father.

  There were times when she’d catch a glance at Rachel when she was running or reaching for something, just from the side, and she thought of Seyed. She would never, ever say anything to Eric, because the fear that haunted her for so long that he’d find her had returned a few months ago. After Eric left on this deployment, she wondered if she’d ever get used to having him gone for so long at a time, staying at home and pretending everything was fine. He made her feel safe, and while he was here, she slept soundly, peacefully.

  She could not see Eric through the flow of sailors disembarking, so she stood on her toes, anxious, searching, when she spotted him in back, almost a head taller than many of the men. She waved frantically to him, wanting nothing more than to run to him and throw herself into his arms.

  Making her way through the crowd, she felt the familiar pull to him, which had only intensified over the last two years. Reaching him, she couldn’t stop the tears that always came when he left and when he returned. It was a roller coaster of emotions, and her eyes were like a damn faucet.

  “There are my girls,” he shouted and effortlessly scooped Rachel in his arms while pulling Abby with her, and Rachel screamed with delight, “Daddy, Daddy, my Daddy!” Eric kissed them both and then pulled away as he felt the baby kick.

  Reaching down, he laid his hand possessively on Abby’s swollen belly. Then he leaned down and kissed her again. “Sooo? How’s my boy today?”

  Good God, she swore the man was more handsome than when he had left, and he took her breath away. Just hearing his voice made her heart jump, and she felt his hands running over her. She held his hand as she tried to smile through her tears. “Your boy’s fine. Your wife is ready to have this baby, though.”

  Laughing, he bent down and gave her a deep, passionate kiss that still had the power to leave her breathless. He slid his arm around her shoulder, Rachel in his other arm, still carrying the weight of his duffel bag. Eric led them to the car. “Come on, wife of mine. Let’s go home,” he said.

  And Abby knew that tonight, she’d be safe.

  THE END

  Next in The Saved Series, Vanished.

  She thought her nightmare was over.

  --“I'm an advocate for women in sexual assault, abuse and domestic violence, and I have to give this author two thumbs up for how she writes her stories.” – Amazon Reviewer- Jamie

  --“Lorhainne Eckhart is a very prolific and talented writer. Get to know her work, you won't regret it.” – Amazon Reviewer – Karen

  --“Loved this book...Five stars don’t come from me easily. Tugged at my heart!”—Kivey

  --“The focus on a woman taken was a very classic ideal because it was set in a military arena. YOU have to read these books, but make sure that you have a box of tissues because you will need them.” – Faybe

  In VANISHED, Abby has married the man of her dreams. He rescued her, and he’s the father of her child. Everything should be perfect, but she begins to relive her nightmare from when she was taken… and one night she disappears, leaving her children alone in the dead of night, her husband on a military ship halfway around the world. But when Eric arrives home and the search begins, there are two disturbing questions: Was someone in the house? And how is it possible for Abby to simply vanish?

  The Saved Series in order:

  SAVED

  VANISHED

  CAPTURED

  —“I'm an advocate for women in sexual assault, abuse and domestic violence, and I have to give this author two thumbs up for how she writes her stories”.- Reviewer- Jamie

  —The Saved Series is awesome. The focus on a woman taken was a very classic ideal because it was set in a military arena. YOU have to read these books, but make sure that you have e box of tissues because you will need them.- Reviewer – Kivey

  Captured: Captain Eric Hamilton is now settled on base after giving up his first love, the sea, for his wife, Abby, and their children. He watches day in and day out as his friends are deployed, burning with an empty feeling as if life is passing him by—that is, until his friend Lieutenant Commander Joe Reed is captured while deployed in Iraq.

  While his family is at home, helpless, Joe’s life hangs in the balance, and Eric is forced to make a decision he swore he would never make again: Should he leave Abby and their children to go halfway around the world in search of a friend who may be dead?

  Or simply click here to grab all the books in this sizzling romantic military suspense in collection, The Saved Series: The Complete Collection

  Book 5: The Choice

  Walk the Right Road, Book 1

  Two Wolves

  One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a

  battle that goes on inside people.

  He said, “My son, the battle is betwee
n two

  ‘wolves’ inside us all.

  One is Evil. It is fear, anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,

  greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false

  pride, superiority, competition, and ego.

  The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, friendship, respect, sharing, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

  The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,

  “Which wolf wins?”

  The old Cherokee simply replied,

  “The one you feed.”

  Author Unknown

  Prologue

  It was too quiet. Unnaturally quiet.

  The sort of unusual quiet that happens right after a big storm rips through. But there hadn’t been one—a storm, that is. This was just another sunny day, exactly like hundreds of other brisk autumn Fridays on this off-the-grid, rustic island of Las Seta in the Pacific Northwest.

  DEA Agent Sam Carre squinted from the blazing sun that brightened the calm, blue sky as he walked out of the shade. From the edge of the old-growth forest, he glanced back into the heavy foliage to where he’d separated from his partner, Diane, two hundred yards back, along the hidden fence line.

  This island was an absolute crown jewel to any logging company, but a nightmare for Sam’s team. It provided too many hideouts, the wrong kind—the dangerous kind—along with the perfect cover for marijuana agriculture.

  Sam popped on his dark glasses and cut around three parked cars. He snagged his black jeans on some thorny bushes as he hurried toward the six solid, sure-footed male agents in front of the wrought-iron gate protecting Lance Silver’s secure estate.