by Em Petrova
Not that she was looking for a boyfriend in either man. She was just fine flying solo.
While Winters spoke to her about the party and the weather, Ben came at her again. Once more he was blocked by her daddy. He made two more failed attempts before dinner was served. And when they sat down to dine, she was placed between her father and Winters, leaving Ben scowling from halfway down the table.
She didn’t dare look his direction. The heat coming off the man was enough to turn her on from ten feet away, and her body was not about to let her forget whose touch had done those unspeakable things to her hours ago.
Chapter Five
“A word, Captain Knight.” Jackson held open the door for him to pass into the house.
Here it comes.
At this point, Ben would welcome a dangerous mission. Hell, he’d go after ISIS singlehandedly rather than watch Jackson matchmake Dahlia with that desk dog Winters.
He ground his teeth and gave a nod as he passed into the house. Jackson closed the door and turned to face Ben. Their gazes locked.
“Have you been fucking my little girl?”
He might have choked on his tongue if his jaw hadn’t been clenched so tight. “Sir?”
“You heard me. Don’t give me that stupid act, either. I can see you sniffing around her.”
Ben didn’t have anything to say, so he stood stiffly, waiting for the bomb to drop, sure Jackson was shipping him off to Antarctica just to keep him away from Dahlia.
“Sir, I had no idea Dahlia would be here. I only came because of your order.”
“And Dahlia didn’t mention it?”
“I didn’t even know she was your daughter. She told me she had a date.”
At that, Jackson chuckled. “She does. A standing date every year on this day, with me for my birthday.”
It had to be done. Ben had to say what was on his mind.
“If I may ask, sir, what are your intentions with Winters regarding your daughter?”
His eyes sharpened. “That is none of your business, Captain. Now get out there and gather your men. The party is officially over for you.”
“Sir.” He saluted and went back outside. He did gather his men, but he had no intention of leaving.
“Uh-oh. I see that look. I like that look. What’s going on?” Sean rubbed his palms together like a child eager for ice cream.
He led them to the foyer, and each of them took his sidearm again. Ben leaned in. “We’re not leaving yet. That woman whose car you collected from the club for me? That’s Jackson’s daughter’s.”
Jaws dropped but amusement quickly replaced shock. Dylan grinned. “You’re screwing around with Jackson’s daughter?”
“I didn’t know it until today. But yeah. He is guarding her heavily, and I need to speak with her.”
“Say no more. We’ll bring her to you outside. Operation kidnap the colonel’s daughter is underway.” Sean waved toward the two exits, and the men broke off with Sean in command.
* * * * *
Dahlia came out of the powder room and gave a small cry as a wall of muscle clad in black cotton encircled her.
“What’s going on? Are we under siege?” At this point, she’d expect anything. She looked from man to man, her heart rate spiking. But not one of them was Ben.
“What is this?” She straightened her shoulders and met their gazes one by one. Judging by their appearance, several were his brothers, and all of them were doing his bidding.
“Our captain requests an audience, miss.”
Captain? Dear God. He’s not only in OFFSUS, but he’s leading the team.
The man speaking was almost as tall as Ben, with the same dark hair and his eyes were a warm green with gold flecks, but his jaw wasn’t as angled. Or maybe it was the playful tilt to his lips that set him apart from Ben.
“Come with us.” This guy could also be Ben’s brother. She swore his eyes were sparkling the same way.
She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you. And I’m not talking to Ben.”
They just stared at her. Finally, one spoke up. “We have orders to pick you up and carry you if necessary, miss.”
She balled her fist. She wanted to punch something, but any attempts made on these hard bodies would only end with her wearing a cast. She closed her eyes and started counting.
“I don’t think she’s willing to come with us, Sean.”
“Doesn’t look that way.” The guy who must be Sean sighed. “I guess we just pick her up then.” When he started moving toward her, she threw up her hands.
“No! You’re not carrying me anywhere, and I’m not speaking to your captain.” Looking for an exit between the broad torsos barring her way was futile. She could barely see gaps of air between them. These Marines knew how to impersonate a cement block wall.
“We have our orders, miss,” one insisted.
“Fine! I’ll go.” That didn’t mean she had to listen to anything Ben said, and she definitely was not letting him touch her.
One kiss, her body said.
She mentally slapped herself and waited for the men to move. They walked out of the house with her between them as if she was going to make a break for it. Not that she wasn’t considering it, but now that she knew what type of work Ben did, she realized he’d be able to hunt her down and get her alone any time he wanted. At least if she spoke to him on her father’s property, chances were things wouldn’t get out of hand.
Who was she kidding? Ben could have her panties off and flung in the nearest shrubbery with a single flash of his eyes.
When the two men in front of her stopped walking, she nearly barreled into their backs. She skidded to a stop and the men flanking her on either side and behind her did as well.
The line of bodies broke and Ben shouldered his way in. A single nod from him had them all scattering, leaving Dahlia standing there with Ben—alone.
She let her gaze skitter away.
“I don’t blame you for being angry with me. I should have told you what I do for a living. But it’s classified information. I’m sure you understand that with a colonel for a father.”
“Oh yeah, I do.” The words tasted like acid on her tongue. Having a colonel for a father was one thing. She’d also grown up and moved out, which had eliminated some of the constant worry and stress of him being in that role. But she couldn’t do that with Ben, not if she let him into her life.
Which she wasn’t. Couldn’t.
He was staring at her, and her eyes betrayed her. A single peek of his burning expression had her weak in the knees.
“Dahlia,” he said softly, stepping forward and skimming his knuckles along her cheekbone, “can you forgive me?”
She wanted to lean into his touch like a stray kitten starved for affection, but she slapped his hand away. “There’s nothing to forgive. We’re nothing to each other.”
Lines appeared around each of his eyes. “Is that true? You don’t feel anything when you look at me? You feel nothing in my bed? Don’t tell me that you weren’t burning up for me each and every time I sucked your nipples or ran my fingers over your clit or plunged my cock—”
Her weak knees were threatening collapse. “That’s enough, Ben. Please, just stop trying to get me in your bed again. Things won’t work out between us. Not ever.”
Something crossed his face, and oh, how she wanted to examine that look further, but that meant falling harder for him.
“I felt horrible leaving your bed those times without explaining why. I should have broken the rules and told you. Especially after you told me about your job. It was the perfect opportunity.”
She set a hand on her hip and cocked it. “About that. You called my work looking for me and that got me in trouble.”
“I’ll smooth it out with your boss.”
“No, you will not. You’ll stay away from my workplace and you won’t call there again.”
He arched a brow in that bad-boy way that had her nipples bunching into tight kno
ts. “What if I get into a car accident and need rescued?”
“Not even then.”
“If I’m trapped in the twisted metal and need the jaws of life.”
“Nope. Because I’m sure you can get yourself out, knowing what I know about you now.”
He moved closer, bringing his spicy, earthy scent with him. And God, he filled out black cotton like a… well, a Marine.
She breathed shallowly to keep herself from being overcome by manly, masculine… maleness, for lack of a better way of putting it.
“What if I’ve already wrecked, Dahlia? If I’ve careened out of control over a woman.”
Her heart skipped.
He lowered his head and used his knuckles under her chin to draw her face upward. “You’re driving me crazy, cher. I need to touch you.”
She ordered her brain to make her shake her head, but it never happened. In fact, she tipped her head up and closed her eyes.
“So beautiful,” he said faintly, warm breath washing over her lips. He traced a path down her jaw to thumb her lower lip. Juices flooded her panties, and she was ready to dive into the bushes with this man and to hell with Winters or her daddy and anybody else looking on. She wanted Ben.
“There’s so much more I want to know about you. I will know. As soon as I get back.”
Her eyes flew open. “What?”
He flexed his jaw, causing the tendon in the crease to flicker. “Your father’s sending us on another mission. We fly out tonight.”
She swallowed the hard lump that had suddenly risen in her throat. “I can’t do this, Ben. I can’t be with a man like you.”
He swooped in and claimed her lips, wiping her words off her tongue with a flick of his own. With a hand planted on her lower back and one on her nape, he drew her into his kiss, tormenting her for five heartbeats before drawing back.
She searched his face. Dammit, no matter how much distance she wanted to put between them, it was too late. He’d wormed his way close to her heart after only a few meetings, and she would never stop thinking about him if she didn’t give it at least a small chance.
“I’m sorry, honey. It’s my job. But I’m asking you to wait for me. When I come back, we’ll spend time together. Go away maybe.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You can’t even stay a whole night with me, so how are we leaving town together?”
His chest heaved as if he struggled with the idea. Finally, he nodded. “You’re right. I can’t make those promises. But know that I want to. Will you wait for me, Dahlia?”
Her mind might be screaming to run the other direction, but there was too much chemistry between them to be simple lust, and she’d always wonder what could have been with Ben.
“Do I at least get to know your last name?”
The corner of his lips flashed upward. “Knight. It’s Knight.”
“Well, Ben Bartholomew Knight, I guess I’ll see you when you return.”
She got an even bigger crooked smile, but it faded as quickly as it had come. He ran his thumb over her lower lip again as his gaze intensified. “Wait for me. And don’t see that asshole Winters in the meantime.”
* * * * *
“Get your ass on that chopper, Captain, before it takes off without you.”
The order came through Ben’s coms device and into his ear, but he recognized Colonel Jackson’s voice. He glanced around the airfield for the man but didn’t see him. He was probably happily sitting inside the hangar, sipping a Dewars and laughing his ass off at how he’d managed to get rid of his daughter’s love interest.
Chaz and Roades were waving at him from the chopper, and putting his head down against the wind generated by the propellers, he strode to the waiting aircraft.
He slipped in and someone shut the door. Seconds later, they lifted off. Knight Ops stared at him.
“Just coming from my brothers, this is bad enough, but Rocko is even glaring at me. I didn’t get us into this situation. You were all gung-ho to be in OFFSUS when asked.”
“We didn’t even have twelve hours between missions to sink our dicks into something soft and wet,” Chaz said.
Agreement sounded among them.
“It’s not my fault you can’t find a willing woman. But I am not the reason we’re leaving the country tonight.”
They looked at him as if to ask, Isn’t it?
“You’re sleeping with the colonel’s daughter, so he’s punishing us,” Sean said.
“No. He’s assigning us a mission and it is our duty to achieve it. Now quit whining about your pricks and buck up, assholes. We need to plan. Who’s got the maps?” He looked around the group.
Dylan patted his vest pocket. Each of them were strapped with ammunition, armed to the teeth with everything they needed to drop into a situation, ready to improvise. But he didn’t like the morale in the chopper right now.
“Look, I’ll buy you each a hotel room and a hooker for a weekend when we return. Okay?”
That got a few smiles. Rocko’s teeth flashed white in the camo paint of his face. Someday that smile was going to get him sniped. “I can get my own women.”
“Yeah? You exclusive with someone?” Ben thought asking about mundane life things might ease some of the tension shooting his way.
“Yeah, her name’s Jenna. And Karly. Gabriella is might pretty too.”
They all laughed, and the release was just what they needed.
He gestured to Dylan. “Give me the maps.”
Sean reached into his vest and pulled out his cell.
Ben looked up, pinning him in his stare. “You know we aren’t allowed cells.” If they were captured, it was too easy to find out their identities.
“I’m just checking on Lexi.”
Damn, Ben had almost forgotten about their issue with Lexi’s “boyfriend” trying to wipe out her bank account. The man would have to wait for their return to have his legs broken.
He slapped the cell from his brother’s hand. “We’re in the air, man. It will mess with the instruments. We’ll deal with the guy when we get back.”
“And what about that Winters dude?” Rocko asked.
Ben’s head whipped his way. “What about him?”
“You looked like you wanted to knock out a few of his teeth too, when he was talking to your lady.”
He wasn’t even going to deny Dahlia was his. As far as he was concerned, she was.
“Did you tell her we’ll be gone two weeks minimum?” Rocko cocked a brow.
He shook his head. “She’ll find out soon enough.”
In fact, she’d most likely forget about agreeing to wait for him. Why would she anyway? She deserved better than a half-ass, part-time relationship with a man who could be killed in the line of duty at any moment. Dammit, why had he asked her to wait? He shouldn’t have put that yoke on her to bear.
For a second, he considered texting her with Sean’s phone and to hell with the chopper’s instruments. But he placed it under his boot. With one hard stomp, the phone shattered, all communication with the outside world lost. Whatever happened with Lexi or Dahlia would have to wait until the mission was complete.
Hopefully Ben had someone to come back and explain to.
* * * * *
“Princess. I didn’t expect you.” Dahlia’s father leaned in to kiss her cheek and welcome her into the house. She stepped inside the grand entry, casting a look at the sideboard where the guns had been last.
“Hi, Dad. I wondered if we can talk about something.”
“Sure. My office or the living room? I can fix some mimosas.”
She shook her head. “The office is fine.”
He arched a brow at her but didn’t ask her reasons for the formal visit. They walked to the office and he closed the door behind them. Turning to her, he said, “I’m not sure what to expect from you, Dahlia.”
“Sit down, Dad. I just want to ask you some things.”
“I hope this isn’t about life. After your mother pa
ssed, I never could quite get a handle on how to raise a daughter.”
“You did fine, Daddy.” She offered him a soft smile, the mention of her late mother making her yearn for understanding.
She folded her hands and waited for her father to sink into his big leather chair. She studied his lined face, wondering how much of those had been put there by his own missions and worrying about the men he led.
“You’re making me nervous, honey.”
She nodded and tried to focus what she wanted to say. “I’d like to know more about Operation Freedom Flag.”
He was still for a long minute and then sat back in his chair. “You know that’s classified information, princess.”
“Yes, but I’ve never asked before. Because it was never important before.”
He narrowed his eyes, but she caught a hint of resignation in them. “Is this about Knight?”
“Yes.”
“Damn. I knew he was screwing around with you.”
“Dad!”
“Look, you don’t want a Marine for a mate, and you definitely do not want that Marine.”
Like all contrary daughters, she squared her shoulders. “Why not?”
“He’s not for you. You need someone steady.”
“And in the country?” Her prompt didn’t even get a change of expression out of her father. The man could do a snow job on Santa Claus after he read her father’s name on the naughty list.
“Dahlia, I can’t tell you where the team is right now.”
She looked down at her fingers, inspecting the curves of her nails. “Would you tell me if he’s safe, Daddy?”
He pushed out a heavy sigh and pivoted to look out the window. He didn’t often show his age, but right now, his face seemed to droop with what she was asking him to disclose.
Finally, he nodded. “As far as we know, they’re safe.”
“All of them?” she asked.
“All of them.” He looked back to her and spread his hands. “Won’t you at least consider Winters? He’s a good man.”