She deserved better than him.
Lily Wilson was the kind of woman who belonged at a fancy tea party surrounded by high society or celebrities. Her father was one of the most elite politicians in the country. He probably had a goddamn prince picked out for his daughter. Not a guy like Stone who drove a four-by-four and had a crappy little house in a suburb of Seattle that he visited far too infrequently. He only kept it because it was close to Mom.
Lily Wilson deserved a well-educated, sophisticated husband. A rich husband who could fly her to the south of France for her birthday. Or could buy her a BMW. Diamonds…
He’d never shopped for diamonds. He wondered how much they cost. Probably a lot—
But it didn’t fucking matter.
He wasn’t buying diamonds for her…or anyone.
He wasn’t that kind of guy.
And she deserved better.
Oh sure, she’d been all soft and willing. In fact, she’d met his passion and surpassed it…but he knew. He knew how reaction could hit a person. That was all it had been. Reaction. Relief. That scorching thrill when a deadly threat is vanquished.
A man wanted to revel in those times, when the blood ran high. To ravage and pillage and take what he wanted.
Making love in a moment like that would be a natural response as adrenaline pumped through the veins.
She might think she wanted him, wanted it, but she was wrong. When she was out of this situation, back to her normal life, she wouldn’t even glance at a guy like him.
He was an idiot for even thinking about it.
They rounded a corner and the tumult of his thoughts stilled. The unmistakable outline of huts showed through the trees. He held up a fist and hunkered down. She mimicked his actions.
That was the thing about Lily. She was a quick study. And she was smart. And pretty. And she smelled—
He cut off the thought with a frown.
It didn’t matter how she smelled—like sex on a stick—it only mattered that she was smart. And followed orders. And—
A call wafted from the village. He narrowed his eyes and stared through the dusky shadows at the clearing. There were three pirates moving around the huts, collecting weapons. A tall, skinny one was dragging something to a pile on the far side of the village. Stone’s pulse jerked when he realized what it was.
A body.
In uniform.
There were other bodies in the pile too. From what he could see, most were wearing the scraggy clothes of the pirates. While anger roiled that the other teams had also lost at least one man on this mission, he was relieved there weren’t more. It pissed him off to see a pirate pick up the fallen SEAL’s weapon and check it over.
The idiot jerked back as he pulled the trigger, sending an accidental spray of bullets through the compound. Without thought, Stone put his arm around Lily’s shoulders and pulled her lower. He didn’t want her hit by a stray round because these morons didn’t know how to handle a weapon.
That the pirate laughed, rankled.
The urge rose in him to do them all, just lift his weapon and let the bullets fly, but he knew better. For one thing, SEALs had a code—they only used lethal force when a team member or a hostage was in mortal danger. And for another, wasting a band of scavenger pirates wasn’t his mission.
He tugged Lily back and into the trees. “We need to wait here until dark,” he whispered. “And then sneak past.”
She nodded, her eyes wide. Trusting.
He hoped he would prove worthy of that trust.
As they waited, he watched the tide, as he’d been doing all day. They were close to the southernmost tip of the island. Close to safety. Low tide was the best time to cross. He checked his watch and calculated when it would be safest. That it would be in the middle of the night was a blessing. With any luck, it would be pitch black again tonight, but it didn’t much matter. They had to get to the extraction point come hell…or high water.
To do that, they needed to slither past this village and over to the western promontory and then slip into the water without being seen.
And Lily couldn’t swim.
He glanced at her. Her eyes were closed, her face wan.
She seemed so fragile, he wanted to gather her up into his arms and hold her.
Damn. He shouldn’t have glanced at her.
He forced his gaze back to the sea, but it kept drifting to her.
In the end, he just gave up and watched her. Stared at her. Studied her.
It pained him, the soul-deep denial that this was all he got. But still, he watched her, until the sun set and it was too dark to make out the lines of her face.
Which was fine.
By then, he’d memorized them.
It was full on dark by the time Stone motioned they should move out. He still didn’t speak, despite the fact the pirates had all left the village.
They skulked through the shadows and around the tip of the island. He pointed toward the water and made a motion with his hand. She didn’t know how she knew he was telling her they would wait for the tide to go out, but she did. The other island was little more than a hulking hump on the horizon. It seemed terribly far. Too far to swim, for certain.
Stone sloughed off his gear and unbuckled his vest. Before she realized what he intended, he strapped it around her.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Shh.”
She frowned at him. “You need this.”
“If the water gets too deep, I’ll have to take you piggyback and carry you. When that happens, your back will be to the shore. Keep your head down.”
Horror curled through her.
Not only did she have to ford a seemingly endless stretch of cold, deep water…there was the possibility of being shot at while doing it.
“Oh no. No.” He needed to wear the body armor. For one thing, it was heavy enough to make her sink to the bottom like a rock. For another…what would she do if anything happened to him? She couldn’t bear it. Especially not if he died keeping her safe. She fiddled with the fastenings to remove it, but her fingers were numb. He set his big hand over hers and stilled her movements.
His eyes met hers. They glowed in the night. “You must wear this. I insist.”
“But—”
“Ah ah ah.” He silenced her with a finger to her lips. “I’m stubborn too, Lily.”
She believed him. So she left the armor on…and prayed the decision didn’t kill both of them.
When he judged the timing to be right, when he determined the pirates were not around, he nodded and they set out. They moved quickly, but only as quickly as she could go wearing the heavily plated vest. Unbelievably, he took her pack and carried it, along with his own, on his back. His weapon, he held in his hand at the ready. They crouched and dashed across the spit of land arching toward the sea.
There were no trees for cover here, but the sand was firm and going was easy.
Lily was just starting to feel cocky when they reached the shore.
She should never feel cocky.
A sudden fear scudded through her as she stared at the distance to the far shore. She’d never make it. She never would.
He looked down at her as she hesitated. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’m here.”
And as easily as that, her trepidation fled. He was here. Stone was here. He would take care of her. She knew it.
So she waded with him into the water, refusing to freak out as the licking waves consumed her ankles, then her knees, and then her waist.
He shot her a reassuring grin. “How’re you doing?”
“Fine.” Not. But she didn’t want to disappoint him by quailing. The water hit her breasts. They were in the tropics, but still, it was chilly. She shivered as it reached her neck. They weren’t yet halfway there. “Stone?”
He stopped and surveyed the situation. The water didn’t even reach his chest. How fair was that? Without a word, he bent down and she clamored onto his back, clinging to his pack. S
he wished he wasn’t wearing it. She wished they could be melded together, body to body.
“Remember,” he murmured, “Head down.” And then he forged onward.
A cry went up from the shore. Lily glanced back and saw a lone figure waving his arms. Then it bent. Picked something up.
“Stone?”
A shot rang out. It went wide.
Unbelievably, Stone chuckled. He spun around, lifted his weapon, and fired. The shadow fell.
Lily struggled for breath. Oh God. Oh God. She smacked his shoulder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He snorted. “Taking care of business.”
“You shouldn’t have turned. You’re not protected.”
He waggled his rifle. “This is my protection.”
“Don’t do that again.”
“I will if I need to.”
“Don’t. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Oh, and it’s okay if you take a bullet?”
“I’m wearing body armor.”
“I don’t give a shit. If I feel the need to shoot at a fucking pirate, I’m going to shoot at a fucking pirate.”
Why he sounded so grumpy, she had no clue, but she let the topic drop because the shoreline sloped and, with no warning, they were both neck deep in water. “Take this,” he said as he handed her her backpack. She nearly dropped it, but then tightened her hold and looped it over her shoulder. “I’m going to start swimming. Hang on.”
Hang on?
Okay.
She clung to the straps of his backpack and closed her eyes for good measure. Thank God he was big. Thank God he was strong. She couldn’t imagine swimming like this, with a full pack and another person weighing her down. The thought made her breathless. Or perhaps that was the temperature of the water. For now they were in the ocean—in the ocean—and it was very cold.
His movements were smooth and he swam slowly, as though there was no urgency. She suspected it was for her benefit. She vowed to make him proud. Or as proud as she could.
She held on and tried to float so she wouldn’t be too much of a burden; she found she rather enjoyed the sensation of gliding through the water. Maybe, when she got home, her next adventure would be swimming lessons. That was probably the extent of her courage, after this.
The hulking shadow grew, which Lily found reassuring. The waves slapped them, the current tugged and pulled, but he kept on target, swimming like a guided missile toward the shore. She felt his shivers. The tremble of his weakening muscles, but he didn’t so much as pause. She hoped to God they reached the island before he ran out of steam.
When his motion shifted and he straightened to stand, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Her head went light.
“Almost there.” His voice was low and soothing, but she heard the strain in it.
“You’re wonderful,” she whispered into his ear. She liked to think his burst of speed was a result of her praise, but she was probably delusional. He continued to carry her until the water reached his chest, and then he guided her as she slid off his back. She hated letting go but he’d carried her far enough. “Well,” she huffed. “That was exciting.”
“You did well.” He tucked a hank of wet hair behind her ear. “Come on. Let’s get ashore. Remember to keep your head down.”
She laughed. “There are no pirates here.”
“We don’t know that.” He frowned. “Let’s operate as though there are. Be on the safe side. Okay?” He chucked her chin.
She tried not to glower. She wasn’t a baby. “Fine.”
“We’ll head inland. Find a place to hole up for the night and tomorrow, the cavalry will come.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” He smiled when he said it, so it must be true.
As they emerged onto the shore, Stone’s every muscle ached. He ignored his fatigue. He knew, if he pushed through it, it would wane and he’d get his second wind. Besides, he wouldn’t relax until he knew they were safe. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d mentioned there could be pirates on this island. As far as he knew, they were everywhere.
He glanced at Lily; her shivers concerned him. The night was balmy, but they were wet through and through, and the breeze had a chilling effect. He knew her shaking wasn’t only because of the cold. She’d been a real trooper through all this, but now, reaction was setting in. The last thing he needed was for her to crumble. He decided to distract her.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” he gusted. “Hardly a nibble.”
Lily paled even more. Shit. Maybe he should have picked a different way to distract her. Kiss her or—
“What-what do you mean, hardly a nibble?”
His looked out over the water just as a fin rose in the surf. “Um. Nothing?”
“What did you mean?” Her gaze followed his. She eeped. “Were there sharks out there?”
“Only a few. And they weren’t hungry.”
Why she smacked him—again—he had no clue. Or he did. But it was a relief to see her lips quirk. “Dang it, Stone. You should have told me.”
“Told you?” He shifted his pack and checked his weapon. Then he took hers, tipped it up and poured the water from the muzzle. The firing mechanisms on the AKs were supposed to be watertight. He hoped they wouldn’t have to test it soon. “Would you have wanted to know?”
She wrinkled her nose. Then grinned. “No. But still…”
He chuckled at her expression, suffused by a sudden lightness. Funny, that was all it took—a grin from her and all was well with the world. “Come on. Let’s find shelter.”
He led Lily inland, encouraging her to stay low until they hit the cover of the trees. The darkness that had shielded them on their swim was now annoying. What he wouldn’t give for his night vision goggles, but he’d lost them when he’d lost his helmet.
Still, he moved as quietly as he could through the scrub, forging deeper until he found a U-shaped rock formation, which he determined would provide good cover.
“We’ll stay the night here,” he said as he dropped his pack. She dropped hers as well and started rifling through it, pulling out water and food without him needing to ask. He liked that about her.
He went through his pack as well, stuffing a couple PowerBars into his pocket. When he pulled out his thermal blanket and a packet of condoms fell on the ground, Stone grimaced. Goddamn Garrett. Condoms were not standard issue for a mission, but it was a standing joke in the platoon. The guys loved to razz him about being a Fucking Monk—literally. A fucking monk. More than once he’d found the damn things hidden in his pack.
He wasn’t prepared for the effect of seeing them fall out, here and now.
Thoughts, visions, fantasies whipped through him, all of them with a disturbing effect. Though he was wet and clammy and cold, a sear of heat licked him. He shoved the packets back into the pocket and ripped open the plastic bag holding the thermal blanket. He billowed it out and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re wet. You must be cold.”
He was. But there was still a lot of work to do before he could relax. He tossed her the P-38. She studied it. “What’s this?”
He picked up his weapon. “A can opener. Pick out a couple things to eat. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Her eyes went wide. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to scout around. Make sure we’re alone. You go ahead and eat. Don’t forget to drink. If everything looks good, maybe I’ll make a fire when I get back. Do you have any dry clothes?”
She shook her head. “They’re all wet.”
“Okay. Lay them out. Hopefully they will dry by morning. Keep that blanket on. Stay quiet. And…” He picked up the rifle they’d confiscated from the pirate in the woods. “Use this if you need to. I’ll whistle when I approach.” A wink. “Please don’t shoot me.”
She gave a heavy sigh, but her lips tweaked in
a mischievous smile. “I’ll try not to.”
“Right. I’ll be back soon.”
“Right.”
He should go—he needed to secure the area—but he was loath to leave her. She was so small and wan, so delicate.
She parted her lips just then. Her tongue peeped out. He couldn’t rip his gaze away. She stared at him as well. The moment hung between them.
“Stone…” She took a step toward him. And he toward her.
He shouldn’t do this. He really shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop himself. He pulled her into his arms and he kissed her, consumed her. A hard, desperate melding of mouths. He never wanted it to end.
But he yanked away. Shook his head.
Fuck.
“I’m…
She cut his apology off with a palm to his cheek. “Stone.” A whisper. “Come back safe.”
“I will.” Before he grabbed her again and kissed her again and got distracted again, he whirled away. “I’ll be back.”
He had to force himself to focus as he made his way to the beach and around the perimeter of the island. It was much smaller than the one they’d left, a mere spit, and he was relieved to see no signs of habitation…or hostiles. His thoughts kept drifting back to Lily, that kiss, and the condoms in his pack.
Damn Garrett.
Knowing they were there was a fucking irritant.
His main brain knew nothing could ever happen between himself and the senator’s daughter. His secondary brain…well, it wasn’t on the same page. The constant flare of arousal when he thought of her annoyed him. He’d never been distracted by a woman. Not ever. But something about Lily Wilson burrowed under his skin, touched him at his core.
He’d always been disdainful of guys who were blinded by lust or weakened by love. Probably because he hadn’t understood how hard it could hit a guy.
Whoa. Wait.
He wasn’t in love for fuck’s sake. This was lust. Pure and simple.
Nothing more.
But there was nothing simple about it.
The emotions she engendered in him were a tangled mess.
Indeed, this pass through the island served as more than a scouting mission. It was a chance for Stone to gain control of his wayward thoughts. To get a hold of these burgeoning yearnings. To get himself back to center.
Hot Alpha SEALs: Military Romance Megaset Page 88