“I need a gun,” she said.
“Check under his seat. If he was dealing with these kinds of guys, I doubt he traveled without a piece.”
She was relieved he wasn’t telling her to sit tight. While Padgett dropped to the floor, she moved past Carson, touching his back as she went, needing the contact, and went to the pilot’s seat. She felt under it, around it, and then opened a small cubby near the floor. “Found it!” she whispered as loud as she dared.
“Any ammo?”
“A clip.” She slammed the clip into the pistol and moved back to take up a position next to Carson.
The men on the ground weren’t in sight, and she worried about that. Did they know where the fuel tanks were? Would they try to trigger an explosion?
“I’m going out, Gina,” Carson said. “You stay by the door. Unless you have a clear shot, don’t fire. I don’t want them to know we have a second weapon.”
She didn’t argue. Their situation was too dire. She’d leave the decisions to the man who knew best how to protect them.
Carson quickly stepped down to the ground then moved beneath the aircraft, behind the stairs, looking for any movement around him. With only faint starlight, everything was in shadow. So, he trained his ears to the sounds around him.
He heard the scrape of a foot on gravel to his right and trained his weapon in that direction. But then he heard a shot ping against the plane. A second later, he heard liquid spilling and smelled gasoline. Another shot sounded, thudding against the ground, and flames burst beneath the plane.
He ran to the front of the steps and crouched there. “Gina, Padgett, get out. The plane’s on fire.”
Gina dropped beside him, turning her body away from him as she scanned the area.
“We have to get to the building,” Carson said.
“Padgett,” she whispered. “Tony, get your ass down here!”
“I’m fine here,” he said timidly.
“We can’t stay here,” she said. “You have to move. Come down between us. We’ll cover you.”
The crackling sound of fire built with every drift of breeze. The plane creaked and groaned. She hoped it didn’t blow.
Padgett coughed then slowly descended the metal stairs.
The moment he was on the ground, more shots were fired.
“I’ll cover you. Run with Padgett,” Carson whispered over his shoulder.
She wanted to refuse, but he was right. “Soon as we’re there, I’ll lay down fire for you.”
“Go!”
She grabbed Padgett’s arm. “You stick with me,” she said.
“Where the hell else would I go?”
As soon as Carson began firing, she bent low and ran, pulling Padgett with her. They made it to the hut, and she flung open the door. Once inside, she pushed Padgett to the ground then used her elbow to crack the window, hit the glass with the pistol to clear a hole, and began firing in the direction of the trucks.
After five shots, she worried that something had happened to Carson, but then he darted through the door and slammed it behind him.
Scrambling over to her, he gave her a quick look then turned his gaze outside. “How many rounds do you have. Count.”
She dropped her clip and used her thumb to slide off the bullets. “Just six,” she said, and quickly replaced them. After inserting the magazine, she moved beside him. “My guys should be here any minute,” she said.
“Trade weapons with me,” he said.
“You’re out of rounds, aren’t you?”
He nodded. “Didn’t have an extra clip with the holster. Who needs more than fifteen rounds when you’re not in a war zone?”
“Bounty hunters who hitch a ride with a drug runner…?”
His teeth flashed in the dark. “Damn, girl, are you ever not sassy?”
She handed him her weapon. “Not because I know you’re better shot. I have no idea about that, but I’ve been aiming at shadows. I think your night vision’s better than mine.”
The sound of an engine starting drew their attention.
“Maybe they’re leaving…?” she whispered.
Headlights flashed. Holding up a hand against the brightness, she stood, watching in horror as the truck turned toward the hut.
“Get on the ground in the far corner,” Carson shouted. Then he stood in front to the window and began firing at the windshield of the truck.
Gina stood frozen, knowing the truck would crush them, but from the right, another vehicle, a large SUV, appeared and crashed into the side of the drug runner’s truck. When both came to a halt, armed men spilled from the inside of the SUV.
Fetch had arrived.
Within minutes, the men from Montana Bounty Hunters had the two drug runners subdued.
Carson ran out of the hut toward the burning plane.
Gina moved to Padgett who was huddled in the corner of the hut with his arms crossed over his face. She knelt beside him. “Tony, it’s okay. It’s over. My people are here.” She helped him come slowly to his feet then led him outside where Fetch was assessing the damage to his vehicle. The engine was clicking, and only one headlight remained.
“It’s drivable, I think,” he said, his face screwed up in a grimace. He pulled out his phone. “Yeah, move in,” he said to the person he’d called. Then he turned to Gina. “Hey, girl. Well, this was one clusterfuck.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m sure you didn’t have a clue your pilot was trying to kill two birds with one stone.”
Carson strode toward them and reached out a hand to Fetch. “Thanks for the save, man.”
Fetch smiled. “Not sure you two would have lasted another minute, but you gave it a valiant try.”
Carson moved to Gina and placed his arm around her back.
She drew a deep breath. “Fuego?”
He shook his head, and his lips thinned. Then he pasted on a smile when he looked at Fetch. “Gina’s amazing. Cool under fire.”
“I never had any doubt,” Fetch said, giving her a wink. He glanced behind her. “This Padgett?”
Gina turned and held out her hand. Padgett grabbed it and let her bring him closer. “This is Tony Padgett. Make sure our guys are nice to him.” She gave him a smile.
Which he returned with a huge sigh. “I’m ready to go home.”
Fetch glanced down the runway to the vehicle heading their way. “That’s his ride.” He turned to Gina. “You want to come along?”
Her gaze shot to Carson.
He gave her a tight smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll find a way back.”
“Might be a good idea to have you here to talk to the authorities about what went down,” Fetch said. “I’ve already been in touch with a friend of a friend. I don’t expect any trouble for you. They have a murder and a big drug bust. They’ll take your statement and let you go on your way.”
Carson nodded.
But already she could feel him withdrawing. His arm fell away, and his gaze was on the dark van pulling up beside them. When the doors opened, she led Padgett to the back and climbed inside.
Chapter 9
When Gina returned to work, she was greeted with hugs and attagirls. Sure, Kid and Sam still called her Trip, and smirked when they did, but after she’d worked the phone a couple of days, hunting down leads, they’d included her in the takedown—and had given her a “real” gun rather than the shotgun for the beanbag rounds. She’d “graduated” to full-fledged hunter.
However, reaching her goal didn’t give her the thrill she’d expected. Nothing did anymore. Two weeks after delivering Padgett to the detention center, she was afraid she’d never feel like her old self again. The joy had been sucked out of her life.
All because of one flirty, handsome SEAL who hadn’t called even once to see how she was.
Not that she’d expected anything to come out of the time she’d spent with him, but she wished he missed her even a tenth as much as she missed him.
“Hey, Tri
p.”
She glanced up at Fetch as he strode through the agency’s small lobby area. “Hey, yourself.” She straightened in her chair and clicked closed her monitor. She had enough notes on Jason Palmer, her next target. Tomorrow, she’d head north to Columbia Falls with Sam and Kid to track him down.
“I’ve got a new hire heading in now. I’m thinking about assigning him as your new partner. If he doesn’t suit, you’ll have to let me know.”
A new partner? Did that mean she’d be the one showing him the ropes? That would be a step up, for sure. “If you vetted him, and he looks good, I’m sure we’ll do fine together. But yeah, I don’t have anywhere else to be.” The only thing waiting for her at home was a beer and the latest NCIS episode she’d recorded.
The door swung open, and she glanced toward it, hoping her partner was at least clean and smelled good. No way did she want to ride with someone with bad habits. When she saw who it was, her jaw sagged just a little before she snapped it shut. Her heart beat faster, and she stood too quickly, which made her feel a little dizzy, so she reached out for the corner of the desk to steady herself.
“Hi, Gina.”
She sucked in a deep breath, knowing Fetch was watching this reunion with interest, but it was hard to contain her excitement. Why was Carson here? Was he seriously considering becoming a bounty hunter, or was he here for her?
Not knowing the answer, she tried to act casual. “Hey, Beach-boy. You’re a long way from Cabo.”
He shrugged. “Told you I was ready for a change. Took me a few days to get permission to leave Tucson. DEA may still want me back to testify. Then I had to head back to Cabo to clear out my place.” He nodded to Fetch. “He gave me his card before he left. Told me if ever I wanted a job…”
Enough small talk. She had to know. “Why Montana, Carson? Why here instead of following Chase into protection work?”
His smile started slowly but stretched wide across his face. “Fetch offered me a partner. Said she was good. That she’d show me the ropes. I was kind of hoping…” He cleared his throat. “Ropes aren’t something we’ve tried before…”
Inside, Gina relaxed. If he was teasing her, there was only one reason he was here. She sauntered toward him, stopping when only inches separated them. “Just ’cause you’re some SEAL hero doesn’t mean you have what it takes to do this job.”
He arched a brow. “Gonna bust my chops, Trip?”
“Just giving you warning that I won’t go easy on you.”
“Baby, you never have.”
“And that’s my signal to leave you two alone…” Fetch drawled.
She heard his boots clap the floor as he exited the office.
“We should talk,” Carson said, his gaze roaming her face like hers was taking him in.
She couldn’t help eating him up because she had to reassure herself he was really here. He looked every bit as scrumptious as she’d remembered. “We can talk. Later.”
His eyes narrowed. “I know your crew,” he said. “I spent a couple of days in their company before they dropped me at the airport. I wouldn’t put them past having cameras all over this office.”
She gave him a blistering glare. “Did they know you were coming?”
“Uh-huh. Sam warned me about you. Said you were a ball-buster. Also showed me some might impressive YouTube footage.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll kick his ass. But you have a point.” She tilted her head and looked at him from beneath her lashes. “You have a place to stay?”
“I was kind of hoping you might return the favor. But only if I’m not imposing, or I’ve taken too much for granted.”
“My place is small. Might be a bit cramped.”
“I don’t mind small…and tight.”
While her blood thrummed through her body, she thought maybe she didn’t care if cameras caught them. “It’s fifteen minutes to my place…”
He arched an eyebrow. “I’ll let you drive.”
Glad her keys were already in her pocket, she grabbed his hand and rushed to the door.
Carson wasn’t surprised they didn’t make it inside her place before their clothes started coming undone. He’d spent the fifteen minutes in transit slipping his hand under her navy, Montana Bounty Hunters tee to play with her tits. By the time she slammed the gearshift into park in front of her small house, the tips were engorged, and her breaths came in ragged pants. And his cock was so hard he hurt.
They both slammed out of her pickup, but he was quicker, glancing around to be sure the trees lining both edges of her property would give them privacy then rounding the front of the vehicle and turning her before she could fling herself against him. He reached around her and opened her belt and jeans then pushed them down to her thighs. Then he guided her toward the truck and pushed the center of her back until she climbed up and bent over the seat.
Stepping up on the running board, he opened his jeans and shoved them down. After grabbing her hips to hold her still, he nudged his cock between her legs. When he found her wet opening, he drove hard inside her.
He held still for a moment, savoring her slick heat. “Missed this,” he ground out.
“This or me?” she asked, her voice muffled against leather.
“Better not talk until after,” he muttered. “It’ll just come out wrong.”
“Long as long as it doesn’t come out at all, we’ll be fine.”
As hard and hungry as he was, he couldn’t help the laughter that spilled out of him. “Damn, Gina, I missed your mouth.”
“Then you should have turned me the other way.”
He bent over her and slipped his arms beneath her body to hold her against him as he continued to chuckle.
Her laughter joined his, and together they dissolved against the truck seat. When they quieted, he kissed the side of her cheek. “Let’s take this inside.”
“Okay,” she said, her voice soft now.
He pulled free, tugged up his pants, and helped her down to the ground. With both of them holding up their pants, they hurried to the front door. She let them in then she ran for the back of the house with him one step behind her.
Once inside her bedroom, she clicked on the lamp beside her bed and stripped. While he kicked off his boots and tossed away his clothing, he drank in the sight of her—bouncy curls, pale cream skin, curves he couldn’t wait to hold. Nude at last, he strode toward her.
She backed onto the bed and moved toward the center, her legs and arms opening. Once he hovered over her, braced on his elbows, he paused. “I didn’t come for the job, although I know I’ll like it.”
Her dark eyes glittered. “I hope you came for me, because…”
He held his breath, waiting to hear what she would say, hoping that she’d felt as lost and empty without him as he had without her.
She wet her lips with her tongue. “I love you,” she whispered. “Not to scare you or anything,” she rushed to say. “I know you’re a footloose kind of guy, but…I really want to spend more time with you. If this doesn’t work out, I’ll be okay, but I’m kind of greedy—”
He kissed her to stop her nervous babble. He’d heard everything he needed to know. Raising his mouth, he said, “I love you, too. And I’m not a footloose kind of guy. Not anymore. Not with you.”
Her smile was blinding it was so radiant. “Okay.”
Jesus, she was perfect. The hard words had been spoken, now they could get on with doing what had bound them in the first place.
Her hands slipped between their bodies, and she pulled on his cock, drawing the tip between her legs. She rubbed it over the top of her folds then moved it lower. When she placed it at her center, she tipped up her hips to take him inside.
Carson flexed and pushed deeper, locking their bodies together. He let out a groan. “I’m going to fuck you hard. After, I’ll give you everything you need, baby. Promise.”
She tugged on his earlobe. “What I need is for you to shut up and give it to me.” Then she dug her fin
gernails into his backside, urging him to move.
Carson hammered home, forcing himself to keep his eyes open to watch Gina for clues she was close. No way would he leave her behind. Still, the pleasure was so intense, he had to grit his teeth against the urge to let go.
She wrapped her legs around him, hooking her ankles behind her back. Her arms floated to the bed, spreading wide as she fisted the sheets. When her head began to thrash side to side, he dug in his knees and pistoned faster, harder.
The second she arched beneath him, her mouth opening around a long, thin keening sound, he pumped into her, his release coming in rhythmic explosions that had him gasping from the sheer, painful pleasure.
When he was spent, he continued to rock against her, unwilling to stop. Fucking her was loving her, and his cock caressed her inside as her channel rippled around his shaft. “Jesus, Gina,” he rasped in her ear.
“I know,” she whispered, “I know.”
With her hands moving up and down his back, he slowed and finally stopped.
“I want this. Every night,” he said in a hoarse voice.
She lowered her legs, stretching out her body beneath him.
“Need me to move?”
“Breathing’s overrated,” she said, hugging him.
Carson slipped a hand beneath her ass and held her against him as he rolled. When she lay stretched over his body, he clamped her legs together, held between his. He didn’t want his dick slipping free. He’d sleep for a while, and then he’d wake her up and love her again. And again…
Chapter 10
The next morning, Carson watched as Gina walked nonchalantly past the house they believed their target was hiding inside. They’d parked behind shrubbery in front of a neighbor’s house, but he was able to observe their target’s girlfriend’s house across the street through the branches. When Gina passed the front door, she moved quickly to the garage and peeked inside one of the two windows at the side of the building.
As she strode back to her pickup, there was an extra bounce in her step. Which surprised him. After the night they’d spent, he would have thought she’d move a little slower. Maybe exhibit a wince or two. Not his girl, though.
Hot SEAL, S*x on the Beach (SEALs in Paradise) Page 8