He certainly was a handsome, well-built man, and she liked southern accents. “Everywhere.”
“I bet you really grab the crowd’s attention when you’re performing.” He gave her a huge southern smile. It was as broad as his shoulders. “I visit Vegas a couple times a year. Maybe—”
“Maybe you better get seconds before it’s all gone,” Tony said gruffly, and shoved a box of Chinese food across the table which slid to a stop against Ed’s forearm.
“Think I’ve feasted enough,” Ed said, and gave her a wink.
Tony fired a dangerous look Ed’s way.
She didn’t have a lot of experience dating. None, actually. Living alone in Vegas she learned how to quickly avert the cheap come-ons by drunken tourists. School and her act kept her busy and focused. A few guys from her classes asked her out, but a memory of Tony had lingered since December, and she’d politely turned them down. Not that dating had ever been a priority to her.
Both she and her brother had been raised in a devout Catholic home. No matter where they traveled, Sunday mornings were spent in church. As a teenager, modest warnings about the other sex were religiously cemented into her upbringing.
Even with those warnings looping in her mind, she often replayed the moment when Tony stood on the stairs of the Porters’ mansion saying goodbye to her. Every time she envisioned it, her heart squeezed a little tighter, and then she would berate herself for thinking he was anything more than a decent man doing a good deed. All she had to do to reinforce the thought was take note he’d never contacted her after that night.
SEALs were legendary for their skills and their valor. Seeing them now, acting like a big, fun-loving family, reminded her of how alone she’d really been for the last four years. She’d been raised on the road, shunted from one show to the next when her parents signed on for a new performance. They’d finally settled in Las Vegas, and her mother had put her foot down saying she wanted Lumin and her brother to finish high school in one place. A year after she graduated her parents received an opportunity for a show in Paris and they took it, leaving her under the watchful eye of the Porters.
“Hey, where are ya?” Tony asked. She started when his finger brushed against her knuckle.
She offered him a wan smile.
“Here, Lumin, have some dessert,” Gabbs said, sliding a plate with cake smothered in ice cream in front of her.
“Thank you, Gabriella.”
“You can call me Squirt if you want. Uncle Tony does, and since he’s got a biiig crush on you, you can too.”
“Ah—” Tony swept Gabbs up into his arms. “Take your matchmaker,” he said, landing her in Mace’s arms.
“My girl’s observant. What can I say?” Mace laughed at him, and wandered into the living room. Squirt rested her chin on his shoulder and gave Tony an overdramatized wink.
“Oh man,” Tony chortled. He bit down on his lip, embarrassed to be outed by a seven-year-old. “Sorry, she’s incorrigible like her mom.”
“Heard you, Tinman,” Nina drawled, sitting on the couch with her back to him.
Lumin laughed out loud and felt her cheeks redden. The room was full of people, but her gaze kept slipping to the fair-haired man with sharp hazel eyes. She was used to fit men performing in the show, but there was something heroic about Tony that she’d never seen before, and maybe a little dangerous. He had very broad, straight shoulders and a molded torso. His T-shirt strained taut around his upper arms and bulged from the sleeves. Capable swept through her mind again. Tony could accomplish anything.
“Lumin?” Admiral Austen beckoned her to join the men on the patio.
“He’s a little intimidating,” she said under her breath.
“You’re right, but he’s a good man. You can trust the Admiral. You can trust any of us.”
She nodded and was surprised when Tony slid his fingers between hers and gently prodded her toward the patio. Lumin noticed the women and children stayed in the living room talking amongst themselves as if they knew the time for business had come.
She squirmed in her chair when the Admiral’s gaze fell on her. The warm look that he shared with his wife had turned to solid ice. Sitting beside him, Captain Cobbs placed his gray-eyed attention on her as did the rest of Tony’s team. Tony’s hand gently gripped her shoulder when she stiffened with nerves, keeping it there as she retold her story to the men watching her intently.
“Admiral, how do you want to deal with this?” Captain Cobbs asked when she finished.
“Carefully,” he said. “Lumin, you mentioned you thought they knew who you were. Explain that.”
“I notice things and have a tendency to remember faces.” The Admiral listened, but she knew he was assessing her at the same time. He’d been doing it from the moment he walked in the door. “I—” She choked on her words. Tony knelt beside her chair.
“Lumin, this might feel like an inquisition, but we need to know everything in order to come up with a plan,” Tony reassured, taking her hand in both of his.
“After I left the hotel room, I took the closest exit to the lobby to get a cab. Two men watched me. I’d seen them the night before when I was with Dr. Carmichael. They’d been watching us then too. I caught sight of them at the second bar we went to. At first I thought it was coincidence, but when I saw them again at the third place, I began to worry. I think they have something to do with this.”
“You’re going to stay here with Tony,” the Admiral ordered. “I’ll find out if there’s any chatter on this. If not, I’ll start a case on it, but it may not remain in our hands.”
Cobbs pursed his lips. “If it falls into CDC hands they may turn it over to CIA or FBI, then we lose control.”
“I’ll assess once we know more. Until then,” the Admiral’s gaze dropped on her with a jarring chill, “you remain with Petty Officer Bale. He’ll keep you out of harm’s way.”
“Admiral, we’re deploying in a week,” Mace said, leaning against the patio railing, muscle-ripped arms crossed over his chest.
“Your mission may be to find a threat to the homeland,” the Admiral replied.
“Thane?” Kayla stood in the doorway with their son, Adam, pitching a very loud fit.
The Admiral pushed his chair back and rose to an impressive six-foot-three. “That’s my cue, gentlemen.” Kayla placed their son in his arms, and he raised him above his head. Adam stopped crying and gave his father a big grin, gnawing on his finger. “Giving mom a bad time, son?” He chuckled. “Chip off the old Frog.”
“Get your ass in the car, no-good SEAL,” Kayla ordered. She stepped aside, but couldn’t dodge the kiss the Admiral planted on her as he passed. Kayla turned doe eyes on her. “You’re safe, Lumin. Never doubt that with this team. They can accomplish the impossible. See ya, guys.”
“Later, Snow White,” the guys said almost in unison.
“Snow White?” Lumin queried, looking at Tony.
“That’s her team name.”
“She’s a SEAL?”
“Nope,” Tony answered, “but all our wives—I mean their wives, might as well be. They’re as brave as we are. They are,” he corrected quickly. “Not me, I mean.”
“Heard that,” Nina called from inside the condo.
Mace’s shoulders shook as he laughed. “And they have great hearing.”
Gabbs skipped outside and grabbed Mace’s hand. “Time to go home, Dad. I want to see Lexi.”
“Sure, Little Red.” He picked Gabbs up in his arms then gave Tony a fist bump. “Later, men.”
“Guess we better get out of here too,” Cobbs said, rising. “You need anything, shout out, Tinman.”
“Roger that.”
Tony scooped a squealing Squirt from Mace by one ankle and dangled her upside down as he walked to the front door with Nina and Mace. Ed, who’d remained relatively quiet tucked in a dark corner of the patio during her questioning, stepped to her side once everyone had vacated. “I’m a little concerned, Miss Lumin.”
&nb
sp; “Why?” She had to crank her neck back to look up at the tall, impressive southerner.
“I don’t like the accessibility of Tony’s apartment, and I’ve got an extra bedroom at my place.”
Tony held the front door open as Nathan exited. His head cranked around as if missing someone. Seeing Ed on the patio, Tony’s expression turned severe as he marched toward them. “I think the Admiral’s orders were for me to stay here.”
Tony filled the patio doorway and his gaze landed on Ed with a sharp snap. Ed ignored him and knelt down on one knee. “My intentions are southern style honorable, Miss Lumin. I also live on the tenth floor. Not as easy access,” Ed said directly to Tony. “You’re on ground level, Tinman.”
“Do you think someone is watching me?” Maybe she should move to a safer place, even though she felt safe with Tony?
Tony’s hazel eyes grew not just angry, but predatory. “We’re good here, Cracker, but thanks.”
“The last twenty-four hours have been hard on her. She needs a bed, not a couch.”
“Buddy,” Tony growled. “Don’t worry about the sleeping arrangements. Lumin stays with me.”
“Maybe he’s right, Tony. What if someone did follow me?” She stood, but Tony stayed her by wrapping his arm around her waist.
“Then I’ll stay awake.” Tony kept a hostile glare on Ed. “Speaking of rest, Lumin needs some.”
“I don’t want to bring trouble to your front door, Tony.”
Ed shrugged. “I could stay. We’ll split the night.”
Tony jerked his head at Ed, and he followed Tony. Low, unintelligible words passed between the men, then she heard the door click shut.
Night had descended, and her gaze slid across the shadows on the playground. For the first time in a long while she felt safe. Even before yesterday, she was on edge. On her own, she always remained aware and it was tiring. Tony reappeared, drawing her from her thoughts. “Where’s Ed?”
“Relieved of duty,” he said, sitting down across from her.
“Tony, I really think you should take me to a hotel.”
With a perturbed grunt, Tony sat back in his chair. “Is it because you don’t think I can protect you?” His jaw cracked to a jagged angle, but his gaze relayed uncertainty.
“No, God no, not at all. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
His brows popped and a silly grin crossed his firm, full lips. “I do dangerous for a living. Watching over you is an easy assignment.”
Assignment? Of course that’s how he saw her. Her adolescent daydreams of the handsome SEAL had created a romance good enough for bookstore shelves. SEALs were realists. Military men. Tony would watch her until Admiral Austen changed his orders. He hadn’t shunted Ed out the door because he’d been flirting; he did it because he’d been charged with her protection.
“Sorry, I guess that must have been a little overwhelming meeting everyone like that,” Tony said.
“They seem very—capable.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’d bet my life on it.”
“How long have you been a SEAL?”
“Eleven years. Mace and I went through BUD/S together.”
“What’s that?”
“Basic Underwater Demolitions training. Tough, but we both made it.”
Lumin’s heart seesawed a little. His eyes, filled with intelligence, centered on her as he spoke. He wasn’t as large as Mace or the admiral; instead he had a lean, taut physique. She could imagine him being a strong swimmer. “Nina said Mace is a sniper, and Kate told me Fox is a senior Frogman, whatever that is. What do you do?”
Tony surveyed her for a moment, then explained. “I’m a heavy weapons specialist and Lead Breacher.”
She raised her brows, not understanding.
“I go in first. That means I clear a path, sometimes using explosives. Basically, I’m a specialist on all mechanical and explosive entry issues.”
“That sounds dangerous.” Her blood chilled a little to think Tony was always the first to face danger.
Tony’s gaze dropped to the table.
“It’s very dangerous, isn’t it?”
“Hazard of the job for any SEAL.” Tony laid an inquisitive look on her. “Walking on a thin pole dangling mid-air doesn’t seem very safe to me.”
She shrugged. “It’s second nature.”
“Have you ever been hurt?”
“Once, when I was younger. Youthful exuberance. Broke my arm. Nothing serious.”
“Think I like the idea of you being a lawyer. It’s safer.”
A niggle of nervous excitement erupted in her belly. “Mace mentioned deployment. What does that mean?”
“Means we’re on the road for seven months, give or take.”
“Away from home?” She was surprised by that. “How many times do you get to come home during that time?”
He shifted in his chair. “Never. We stay out until the deployment is finished.”
“How do Kayla, Nina, and the other wives handle that?”
Tony’s gaze darted toward the children’s park that lay next to his patio. “It’s not easy. Their kids grow up without a dad. We—they—miss all the important milestones. The wives are pretty tight. While a team is on deployment, often another team who is home will help out.” Tony shrugged. “Lots of single SEALs because of the life we live.”
Lumin read something in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure what it was. He probably had plenty of girlfriends, not just one. “What will you do after?”
“After what?” he asked.
“After being a SEAL.”
His brows rose as if he’d never considered it. “Haven’t thought that far ahead.”
Tony’s cell rumbled on the tabletop. He picked it up, read the text, then put it down.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“No, I’m going to clean up the mess the kids made in my place.” He left the table and she couldn’t help herself. With a quick shoulder check, she fingered his phone so she could peek at the text.
Are ya home yet, baby? My wet girly parts miss you.
“Whoa,” she exclaimed.
Tony appeared and snapped up his phone. Guess he wasn’t lacking in the girlfriend department. If that was the type of girl he was used to, he wouldn’t be interested in her. She gawked up at him even though her cheeks heated with embarrassment. “I’ll help you clean up,” she said, and hurriedly brushed past him picking up plates on her way to the kitchen, but she didn’t miss him mutter, “Damn” under his breath.
* * * *
After Tony changed the sheets on his bed, knowing he would give it to Lumin, he returned to the living room. Once again she’d disappeared, and he wished like hell she’d stop doing that because it put his pulse into high gear. She wasn’t on the patio, and it leaped into overdrive until he spotted her. “What the hell!”
Lumin had wandered into the kid’s playground. He watched as she balanced on the horizontal crossbeam of the swing set, twenty feet in the air. Under the moonlight, her blonde hair shimmered. Her parents had named her correctly; she was luminous.
He rested his forearms on the railing and watched. Almost mystical, her slender frame gracefully stepped with precision, forward two steps, and then backwards. Maybe she needed the thrill. He could understand that. She’d shocked him asking what he’d do after being a SEAL. Was there such a thing? Once you’ve been a SEAL, everything else paled. He wasn’t a nine to five kinda guy. Nothing would change that. Disappointment swelled in his chest. The guy who would catch Lumin would be a regular Joe. Her husband would come home every night thinking how fuckin’ lucky he was to have her. Tony tried to shake the thought from his head, but it refused to leave.
Placing a hand on the railing, he jumped it and strolled to stand at the base of the swing set. “I’d say you’d better come down or you’ll get hurt, but I know otherwise.” He tensed, when she leaned over and then did a perfect walk-over like an Olympic gymnast on a balance beam. “Okay, that kinda
bugs me.”
Her sweet laughter fell on him like stardust and covered him in something warm and dreamy. Nina had ramped up his emotions and she’d always have a special place in his heart, but this woman intrigued him as well as made him nervous. Lumin reminded him of a butterfly that flitted between flowers, never landing for long. Kind of like Tinker Bell. “I hope you don’t do that on top of the Stratosphere every night.”
Lumin spread her filly-like legs, grabbed the bar with both hands and rolled forward. Tony sprung into action, and gripped her around the hips as she dangled by her arms. She let go and slid down his body; with every inch, sparks ignited inside him. When her feet touched the ground he wasn’t ready to release her, even though she leaned away.
“Sorry, it’s a SEAL’s nature to come to the rescue,” he said quietly, staring into her tropical-blue eyes. Long lashes whisked her cheeks when she blinked. Being this close to her stroked past temptation by a football field length and fell into the “must have” category. He wanted to touch her perfect, fair skin and graze his finger along her delicate features. Everything about her waved a red flag at him.
“Did you answer your text?” she asked.
Talk about putting his fire out. “I guess that made me look like a man-whore, didn’t it?”
“A little.”
Was he going to try and convince her he wasn’t, because it would be a lie? Changing the subject would be the same as admitting he was. SEALs often avoided a straight answer, but mostly to protect their identity. He didn’t want to lie to her. Damn, damn, damn.
“Everyone has a past, right? Doesn’t mean the future plays the same hand.” When all else failed, euphemisms worked. He did it all the time to the squad when things got too tense. Staring into her pretty features, tense wouldn’t be the right word. Dumbfounded might come close. Would she let him kiss her? Should he ask? He never asked. What—was he fifteen? She nibbled on her lower lip, and the afterburners on his lust ignited. Sweet. Sincere. Smart…how many ‘s’ adjectives could he come up with? Single? Was she? She would have run to her boyfriend if she had one.
Code Name: Luminous Page 3