Code Name: Nina's Choice (Warrior's Challenge)

by Natasza Waters

  “Focus Smithers, is she talking to you or am I?”

  “You, PO.”

  The other instructors stood off to the side with their arms crossed and two of them crushed a grin, one of them being Tony.

  “Smithers, you made it through Hell Week, barely, and you’re still hanging in there, barely. Long way to go. You’re an officer. You’ll be expected to lead your men. How do you expect them to listen to you if you can’t lead by example?”

  “Yes, PO.”

  Mace hadn’t turned to look at her. “Beckett, you sly fox. Ya think I can’t read your thoughts?” Beckett straightened up, his face dropping into a deadpan stare ahead of him. “You know who that woman is?”

  “No, PO.”

  “That’s the woman I love, seaman. You know why I love her?”

  Nina chuckled and shook her head. She braced her hands behind her back and leaned against the wall.

  Beckett answered in a loud, “No, PO.”

  “Because on this obstacle course, she could kick your ass.”

  A chorus of chuckles erupted from the men standing at attention.

  Nina’s smile dropped instantly. What was so funny? She didn’t have a single doubt she could kick that skinny kid’s butt. He might have earned himself a few muscles in the first three weeks, but she had years of PT behind her. While Mace had worked to return to his original fitness level, she had run with the squad, swam with them and started building up muscle by weight training, something she hadn’t done before.

  Mace turned with his arms tightly crossed on his chest. A perfect ‘V’ of muscled man stared at her. Broad shoulders swept down to a tight waist. His T-shirt molded to his six-pack, and she felt a skitter of excitement between her thighs, especially when he was in SEAL mode. She read his look, and yeah, she was ready.

  The guys had taken her through this course two weeks ago. Above the pool, ropes, nets, and rings hung from the ceiling. It took strength and mental fortitude to get through this course. She failed the first three times she tried, but the fourth time she’d completed it.

  “You think that’s funny, Smithers?”

  “Yes, PO.”

  At least the guy answered honestly. Nina pulled out her hoop earrings and placed them on the chair next to her.

  Mace got in Smithers’ face. “I think the only thing that’s gonna be funny is when she finishes this course before you. You want to take that chance? Deal with the repercussions? Life’s a choice, Smithers. You chose to be a SEAL. You want to choose to watch your balls wither in humiliation after shootin’ your mouth off?”

  Smithers’ gaze darted across the pool to Nina. She stepped to the edge and curled her toes around it.

  Smithers’ jaw jagged sideways. “Yes, PO.”

  Mace turned, but she answered the challenge by straightening her arms and body, and diving into the water. When she reached the other side, she broke the surface and Mace was kneeling waiting for her. A small smile quirked on his lips. “You just love a challenge, don’t you?”

  “Are you the prize?” she asked, and winked at him.

  Mace’s eyes narrowed with a smile. “Only one I’d accept.” Mace pushed himself up. Nina stroked to the other end. She slipped from the pool and scrambled up the ladder to the platform hovering fifteen feet above the water. She’d have to swing on a rope to a net. The guys had shown her how to turn upside down while she was swinging and reach back for the netting to start the course. Mace climbed the ladder with Smithers behind him. Mace grabbed the rail and spoke to the men who gathered beneath them. “Nina has a team name. Anyone want to hazard a guess?”

  The guys looked confused.

  “What? You thought she sashayed here off the street for a lunch date. Ms. Samson is a Tae Kwon Do champion. She trains with Team One, Alpha Squad.” Mace turned slowly and looked at Smithers. “Details, Smithers,” he said when the guy began to look a little worried. “No frogman goes into a mission without knowing details. How many times have I tried to thump that into your skull?” Mace poked at the side of Smithers’ noggin.

  Nina scratched her chin and battened the hatches on a grin.

  “The team named her, Ninja Grasshopper.”

  The guys below laughed and nudged each other. Mace leveled a glare on Smithers. “No matter what you do, you need details before jumping in and taking the risk of having your balls shot off. Or worse yet, Officer Smithers,” he drawled, “killing your men. You see the mission, before you act on the mission. Every angle, every possible detail is covered. Envision anything that can go wrong and what you will do to avoid it.” Mace nodded at the guys staring up at him. “What is the outcome of this challenge?”

  The men stopped to actually think and Nina imagined their brains whirling like chopper blades.

  “Ninja Grasshopper will win,” a recruit shouted out.

  “Macgregor, explain,” Mace ordered.

  “She’s fit. She’s probably done this course before. The only reason she might fail is strength. She’s not a man.”

  Nina’s lip curled and the fire in her blood began to perk. Screw you, Macgregor.

  “Of course she’s not a man. I don’t like men in my bed. Are you purposely trying to piss her off?” Mace yelled at him. “Ever hear the phrase, woman scorned?” Mace pushed a button on his watch. “Go, Smithers.”

  Smithers clutched the rope and swung out. He didn’t have enough momentum, and when he jumped for the net, gravity took care of the rest. His fingers hooked the last row, leaving him dangling over the water. It took upper body strength to pull himself up, exerting too much at the start of the course. From the net he maneuvered to a rope and climbed up, gripping the knots for leverage. Reaching a line of short ropes hanging from the iron girders above, he swung from each one, grabbing it, and reaching for the next with the motion of his body propelling him forward.

  At the end of the line, he let go and dropped into the water, swam hard and crawled up a rope ladder. Smithers gripped a black line dangling from the ceiling, and stepped into the rings attached to the bottom. His body gyrated like a loose coil and he fought against it, losing precious time. When he reached the other side, he grabbed a thicker line the size used in berthing big ships and crossed the pool. Hands sore, muscles screaming, he clenched the rope with his feet and hands, shimming across until he reached the end, then dropping into the water. He stroked like a drunken dude to the pool edge and dragged himself out.

  “Pitiful, Smithers.” Mace called out his time. “Do your best, babe,” he said, grazing his fingers along her backside.

  Nina cocked a brow. “Hope he likes small nuts from this day forward. Maybe that should be his team name.” She took the rope from Mace.

  His shoulders shook with laughter and his Hollywood smile tightened his jaw. “Small Nuts it is.”

  Nina took in a steadying breath as she always did before a Tae Kwon Do match. Her goal, the other end of the pool. She stepped back and then swung on the rope with a graceful sweep, turning upside down and reaching for the net.

  Speed and pacing. Speed and pacing. Tadpole, who excelled on the course, repeated it over and over again to her. Her body’s momentum helped her reach the ropes, grabbing hold and swinging for the next. She dropped into the water when she gripped the final one. Her least favorite thing was the rope ladder, but there was nowhere to go but up. The rings were easy and she let her body flow with the lines she clutched and stepped into each ring, handing off the rope behind her.

  The burning in her arms was the worst. She reached the final ring, and the men below started to cheer for her. She shimmied with quick movements like an inchworm on a willow branch. Ten feet, five feet. Her arms and thighs burned with strain. The rope rubbed coarsely against her palms until she reached the end. She dropped her legs and let go, relishing the free-fall.

  By the time she broke the surface Mace was there as well as the other men. The instructors were clapping. Mace pulled her from the water with just the strength in his arms. She breathed out and
grinned at Smithers.

  “Ms. Samson’s time is an entire minute under yours, Smithers. Correction,” he said, lifting his finger in the air. “Small Nuts.” The guys roared with laughter. “Smithers, you have anything to say to my girl?”

  Smithers’ lips moved like he was chewing grass. “Well done, ma’am.” He nodded at her in respect.

  Mace glanced down at the clipboard in his hand. “Not sure what you men are laughing at. She trumped all your times.”

  The recruits’ eyes widened a little and they became thoughtful.

  “Never underestimate,” Mace said, turning a contemplative stare on the recruits. “Never, ever believe that a woman is not capable. On deployment you will see things that will sit in your gut and poison it for the rest of your life. A woman can put you next to a tombstone if you underestimate her fortitude. You have thirty minutes for lunch. Dismissed.”

  Tony wandered over and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Way to go, Ninja girl.”

  She nodded. “Thanks to you guys. Guess I better go home and get some dry clothes.”

  “We’ll run it, babe. We can grab something there.” He slipped a hand across her shoulders and pulled her away from Tony.

  Nina stopped, and turned. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked Tony.

  He blushed and glanced away. “Nah, I’ll get something at the galley, not going to interfere with some noontime delight.”

  “Tony, you’re blushing,” Nina said laughing. Tony really was a sweetheart. Like the other SEALs he was all badass most of the time, but he had a soft side too.

  “Am not,” he spouted and straightened his shoulders.

  “Yeah, man. You are,” Mace said and laughed.

  “Petty Officer Callahan!” Tinman and Mace turned sharply with the gruff call out.

  “Great!” Mace muttered. “Yes, sir,” he answered as Lieutenant Ingram reached them.

  “Callahan, grab some grub and meet me in my office. We’re having a working lunch. I want to discuss the Phase Two class with you.” The lieutenants’ gaze scanned all of them before falling back to Mace.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Fifteen minutes,” he instructed, then marched away.

  “What’s up?” Tinman asked.

  “Don’t know,” he said shaking his head, “but he told me yesterday he doesn’t think we’re working the class hard enough, keeping up standards. My guess is I’m getting a pep talk on not being enough of an asshole from the man in charge.”

  “Something like him?” Tony said. “The guy’s barely above butt crack when it comes to rank, but he acts like Admiral of the West Coast chain. Better get the lead out. I’ll grab some lunch with ya.”

  “Raincheck, babe?” Mace swept in and brushed her mouth with a quick kiss.

  “You bet, hotstuff, see you for dinner.”

  When Tony broke ranks and made a move to follow Mace to the galley, Nina pinched his waistband. When he looked at her, she whispered, “I need to talk to you. I’ll make lunch. Let’s go.”

  He questioned her with a stare and then said, “I forgot, I got to head to admin. I’ll see ya later, Mace.”

  Mace waved before setting into a jog toward the galley.

  Nina let them into the apartment. Tony seemed tense and dogged behind her. He quickly put distance between them by flopping down on the couch and grabbing the TV remote. “I’ll change and be right back.”

  Before turning on the TV he said, “What’s this about, Nina?”

  “Be right back.”

  She found some dry clothes and rushed back into the kitchen. Building a couple sandwiches, she put together her thoughts at the same time. This wasn’t going to be an easy sell. As she set down their lunch on the table, she said, “It’s ready, T-man.”

  He wandered over and slid out the chair slowly, but kept a wary eye on her. “You going to tell me what’s going on?” he asked, taking a seat, but not digging into his sandwich. He leaned back and folded his arms as he waited for an explanation.

  She fingered a slice of cheese and lost her appetite. Giving him a determined stare, she said, “I want you to make love to me.”

  Tony’s expression caved like an old brick building in an earthquake. “What?”

  She unscrewed the top off a soda and pushed it toward him. “You heard me. I need your help, Tony.”

  A gust of air whooshed from his mouth as he shook his head. “This is a joke, right?”

  “No. I’m sure Mace told you he still has a barrier,” she paused, “in the bedroom.”

  “And what he’s doing isn’t enough?” His brows arched. “There’s other ways—”

  “We have tried everything.”

  “Buy some movies.”

  She gave him a disgusted look. “Really? Never thought of that.” She tossed back a gulp of water to clear her dry throat, but nothing would help her pounding pulse. “Mace has to get over this issue. It’s all in his head. Nothing has worked so far. He needs a challenge and I need you to come on to me.”

  “And burn our friendship to the ground? No way.”

  She vaulted from her chair and dragged it over to Tinman, sitting knee to knee. Covering his hands with hers, she said, “It has to be you. Anyone else and it won’t work. He’ll get angry instead of rising to the challenge.”

  T-man remained still, except for the slow shake of his head. “Believe me, when it comes to you, he’ll be angry no matter who it is.”

  “Mace told me how you attacked every hurdle together. When one of you falls behind the other pushes harder. I want to push Mace to the point that he crashes through the obstacle in his mind. He has to believe it, he’ll respond to it like a challenge.”

  Tinman spit out a laugh and surged out of his chair. “I’d do anything for that guy. I’d give him anything. My life, my blood, my money, but I won’t give up our friendship, and this would annihilate it. He wouldn’t believe it anyway.”

  Nina got up into his face. “You can make him believe it.”

  “No,” he barked. “I can’t. Not with you.”

  “Why not? Tell me why not?” She grabbed his wrist when he tried to put distance between them.

  The room became very silent. Tony’s body tensed, his stare frightening in its intensity. Tony gripped her shoulders gently and pushed her into the chair. “It’s real simple. Mace loves you. Have patience, things will happen.”

  “We have been patient, but Mace is driving himself crazy over this. I don’t care that he can’t get an erection, but he does, and it’s making it worse. I don’t need sex. I need him.”

  Tony knelt in front of her. “I can’t believe I’m talking about this with you.”

  She searched his face, but all she saw was the warrior façade. “He’d do it for you. He’d do anything for you.”

  “I know that, but this is different. This will have repercussions. Ones I’m not willing to risk.”

  “If I’m willing to risk it, you can muster up the balls as well.”

  “You’re crazy. You want me to touch you in front of my best friend? He’s going to go out of his fucking mind. If I don’t get killed, it’ll be a miracle, but he’d never forgive me. There has got to be another way.”

  Nina sensed a wee crack in his resolve. Time to bring out the Jaws of Life. “Do you love us?”

  Tony’s face warped to angry. “That’s the problem. I do love you.”

  She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, looking deeper into his eyes. “What?” she said meekly.

  “Nothing.” He dropped his hands and backed away.

  “Tony?”

  He picked up the sandwich and took a bite, nodding. “It’s good.” He wandered away, and stopped by the window, staring out over the base.

  “You mean like a sister, right?”

  He was silent standing in the beam of light that pierced the glass and laid a sharp path along the old linoleum. “Yeah,” he said gruffly. “Like a sister.” He took another bite and chewed slowly. She stepped up to him, and gr
ipped his arm. Tony swallowed and slowly turned to look at her. “No, not like a sister, and that’s why I can’t do this.”

  Her heart swelled for her friend. If Tony actually had feelings for her she couldn’t ask him to do this, but she was out of options. “Tony, you mean the world to me. You’re the last person I would have considered a friend, but you are.” He nodded solemnly and stared at the floor. “I didn’t know.”

  “You weren’t supposed to,” he shot back. “I want to help Mace too, but—ah, shit.” He sighed heavily.

  “Hey.” She clutched his hand and brought it to her chest. “It was a stupid idea anyway.”

  “Nah.” Slowly he raised his other hand and brushed her lip with his thumb. “It’s not. Nothing you do is stupid. I know you love him. The fact that I’ve been infatuated with you from the beginning is just white noise. You and Mace are meant for each other. I’m just jealous, which makes me the dick I am.”

  She wrapped a hand around his neck and smiled at him. “You have a heart of gold, you know that? All of you do. You always look so tough on the outside, but there’s a little piece of wonderful inside each of you.”

  Tony’s brows shot together with indecision. “What kind of an asshole falls in love with his best friend’s girl?”

  “You’re not an asshole.” She popped a kiss on his cheek. “Forget it.” She tried to back away, but he stopped her and drew her into his arms.

  “He’s one lucky bastard, and you’re going to owe me big time for this. Now, tell me your plan.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Nina gripped the edge of a big box and tugged on it. “Some three-hundred-pound heavyweight must have packed these things,” she grumbled as something large threw a shadow across the tail of the truck. Massive arms stretched around her and gripped the box.

  “Stand down, Ms. Samson, you’ll give yourself a hernia,” Ghost said, sliding it off the moving truck like it was a paperweight.

  “Captain Austen! What are you doing here?”

  “Getting out of the line of fire. That woman of mine has a mouth like a sailor when she’s pissed.” He chuckled. “These days everything is my fault.”