All too soon, breakfast ended and they began to clean up. Elena insisted she’d help and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She and Phantom were assigned to clear the table, while Anya and Stryker began to do dishes. Buzz and Santo worked on storing the leftovers, which were few.
As they worked, Buzz began singing a Christmas song, making Elena hesitate as she reached for a plate. She glanced over at Phantom, one eyebrow raised. “He does know that it is several months until Christmas, right?”
Phantom smirked. “Try explaining that to him. He believes Christmas should be celebrated year-round.”
Elena shook her head and continued her work before finally stopping and turning to face Buzz. “Are you doing that on purpose?” she asked him.
He paused in his singing. “Doing what?”
“Singing off-key and off-beat? I just wondered if you were trying to make up your own version of the song.”
Phantom’s deep laugh behind her took her by surprise and she turned to see him, his face full of joy as he laughed. So far, in the limited time she’d had with him, she had never heard him laugh. The sound was so delightful and happy, it made her begin to laugh too.
“Ha-ha. Very funny. You two chuckleheads enjoy your joke. Just because you can’t appreciate my Christmas spirit… You’re jealous, that’s all.”
Phantom laughed even harder, and Elena decided in that moment that she would do everything possible to hear his laugh as often as she could.
Chapter 6
Phantom had always been an early riser, and Monday proved the same. He took advantage of the time before everyone else woke up to get in his exercise in the gym they had built at the back of the house. He ran ten miles on the treadmill, then hit the weights. The entire time, his mind swirled with thoughts of Elena.
She had enchanted and enthralled the team during breakfast the previous morning. Hell, he was more captivated by her than anyone else. He felt things for her he had never felt for any other woman. He wanted to show her that a man could be kind and gentle and caring. He wanted to take away all her worries and fears. He wanted to hear her laugh and be the recipient of her incredible smiles.
He couldn’t give her any of those things, though. At a moment’s notice, he could be called in for a new mission that would leave her alone, wondering if he would come back alive. She deserved security and a man who could give her anything her heart desired.
His parents were madly in love. They had been married for thirty-five years and were still going strong. Their entire world revolved around each other, to the point that they neglected their children. Phantom had grown up practically raising his little sister on his own, and there seemed to be an endless string of nannies who looked after him and his sister when they were young.
Elena had him wondering if he could give her the kind of attention and adoration she deserved, considering the demands of his job. On top of that, he didn’t want to become so obsessed with his partner that he failed as a parent like his own. His life revolved around the SEALs—how could he possibly be there for Elena the way she deserved?
He shook his head at himself. To even consider a relationship with her was beyond foolish. While he no longer wanted the short, meaningless flings with women he had experienced in his younger years, he didn’t know how to be in a serious relationship with a woman. He didn’t even know how to begin such a thing. And he didn’t know why he entertained the idea of something different with Elena.
Because she’s different. She is strong and independent and could be the partner to welcome you home from missions. She makes you smile—and laugh—and is giving you her trust after going through a terrible experience. You do have something to offer her. You can offer her a partner to lean on, someone who could care for her…
Gritting his teeth, he picked up a heavier set of weights. He needed to work her out of his mind. He had to stop thinking about her as anyone other than someone who could help him move his assignment forward.
He had just finished with one exercise when his cell phone rang. He grabbed a towel and wiped at his sweaty forehead before glancing at his phone, surprised to see the admiral’s ID on the screen. “Yes, sir?” he answered.
“You stumbled upon some important information,” Admiral Haslett said. “Are you in a place where you’re able to talk?”
“Yes, sir. To get a phone call from you this early in the morning, I know the information isn’t good.”
“I wish it was. I made a few phone calls yesterday and discovered there is a human trafficking ring operating somewhere near the Texas–Mexico border, but they constantly move, making it hard to pin them down. The authorities in Mexico have been working the case for months and haven’t been successful in stopping the traffickers yet.”
“I assume the agencies on our side are involved as well, if it’s been going on for so long.”
“They are. But they, too, keep hitting a brick wall. Last week, a shipment of at least thirty victims made it all the way to Austin. They were gone by the time U.S. agencies had enough intel to move in. This group works with deadly precision and speed.”
“I suppose since there are already agencies working on it, we can’t touch it.” Phantom sighed.
“No. We’ve been asked to go into a black op on this one. It’s going to be blind. We’re not going to know who we’re working with in Mexico until we get there. But we’re running point on the American side.”
“Good. Do we know where we need to target in Mexico?”
“No. We’re going to have to wait for the traffickers to gather up victims for another shipment. It’s a crappy way to do it, but we have to catch these bastards trafficking people. Otherwise they could get off on a technicality.”
Phantom frowned at the phone. “We’ll continue doing our research on our end.”
“Speaking of that, have Buzz start combing the dark web. Specifically have him look for anything that looks like the communication he saw from the drug deal.”
Unease slipped down Phantom’s spine. “I already have Buzz checking for any discussions about human trafficking. Is there something else you’ve come across?”
“The files were sent to me electronically late last night. There were several pages of coded communication. I hate to tell you this, Phantom, but the code looks identical to the code the drug ring was using.”
Phantom’s mind raced with possibilities. “Do you think the two cases are tied? Do you think this could be someone who also worked with the drug lord?”
“I think there are too many similarities for us to ignore. I’ve sent the files over to you for review. Show Buzz the coded pages and see what he thinks. We could be going up against a much bigger organization than we originally thought.”
Phantom ended the call and headed back to his room to take a shower. The team would be up soon. He needed to be ready to sit down with them and have a difficult conversation. The nightmare they thought had ended when the drug lord had been killed could just be beginning.
Thirty minutes later, he joined the team in the dining room, grabbing a large mug of coffee. He had struggled to sleep, and after his early-morning phone call, he needed anything to help him stay alert for the long day ahead.
“What’s the matter, bro?” Santo smirked at him. “Some curly-headed beauty haunt your dreams all night?”
Phantom narrowed his eyes at his friend. “I slept just fine, thanks.”
“Sure. It’s written all over your face. Why don’t you just admit that you like her? Hell, I know I do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Phantom nearly growled.
Santo raised an eyebrow. “It means I think she’s a great gal and I enjoyed having her around. Jealous much?”
Phantom schooled his features and forced his emotions to go into hiding. “There’s nothing to be jealous about. I’m glad you like her. The two of you seemed to really hit
it off yesterday.” It had irritated him how easily Elena interacted with Santo, and how animated and engaged Santo had been with her. It didn’t make sense for him to feel such things if he didn’t have feelings for Elena, and he had already convinced himself that was a bad idea for both Elena and himself.
“So you wouldn’t mind if I asked her out?” Santo asked, a teasing quality to his voice. Phantom knew his friend wanted to get a rise out of him.
He shrugged. “Do what you want.”
“You aren’t fooling any of us, you know.” Snap joined in. “We can all tell the two of you have chemistry off the charts.”
“Don’t go ruining things for me,” Santo said, elbowing Snap hard in the side. “I might have a chance with her.”
“Yeah, right.” Snap laughed. “There was only one person she was interested in yesterday morning. Phantom.”
Phantom wanted to smile at the comment, but knew he couldn’t—shouldn’t—feel good about such a thing. He cleared his throat. “There’s something I need to talk to all of you about.” The seriousness of his tone drew everyone’s attention, and they moved to join him at the dining room table. “I got a call from Haslett this morning. Things have gotten considerably more interesting since Saturday night.”
* * *
The tack room desperately needed an overhaul. Elena couldn’t believe how much dust had accumulated in the month she had been gone from the ranch. She put the horses out on the different lunge lines to get them started with their exercise while she devoted her attention to the dirty halters, bridles, and saddles.
Soon she scrubbed vigorously with saddle soap, working hard to remove the grime, and knew she had made the right decision to wear her sturdiest work clothes. Dirt and the buildup of dust from the past few weeks covered her shirt and jeans. The heat of the day gathered rapidly, and drops of sweat slid down her back and between her breasts. Using her forearm, she rubbed away the trickles that threatened to roll down into her eyes.
By the time she had finished cleaning all the saddles and prepping all the tack for buffing and polishing, Elena desperately needed a break for some water. She stepped out into the breezeway of the barn and guzzled water from her large, insulated mug, then poured some over her head, enjoying the feeling of the cool fluid trickling down her skin.
“You look like you could use a break.”
Elena jumped at the sound of Phantom’s voice, then forced herself to take a deep breath. She had never known a man capable of moving so silently. She felt the tingle of heat in her cheeks, telling her she blushed from the embarrassment of being found dumping water on herself. Especially in front of him.
She hastily wiped her face and smiled up at him. “This is my break.”
“Have I let things fall into such a serious state of affairs that this is all you can afford for a break?”
Elena chuckled, smoothing her wayward curls back from her face. “I knew you were going to be a difficult client. I had no idea it would be this taxing,” she teased. She could see the tension in his face and knew something was gnawing at him. She wanted to see him smile, and more than anything she wanted to hear his laugh again.
For a moment, it seemed he would smile. “At least you’re honest about it. I know I’ve neglected the tack room a bit.”
“Oh, just a bit.” She glanced pointedly down at her grimy hands and delighted in the half smile that he gave her in return. “But don’t worry. I think I finally have it all straightened out. You’re more than welcome to take a look if you’d like.”
“I trust you,” he said, the half smile gone, his eyes assessing her. “Did you enjoy getting to meet everyone yesterday?”
“Yes. I can see how close you are to all of them. Now I understand what you meant when you said you had some friends you considered brothers. I’m an only child and never got to experience the good-natured ribbing and joking around I saw yesterday.”
“What makes you think we were joking? We were being serious with every insult.”
Elena laughed and shook her head. “I was about to take the horses off the lunge lines. Care to go for a ride? They could use a change of scenery.”
A smile lit up his face, transforming it. “Absolutely.”
Several minutes later, they were headed away from the barn on two of the best horses on the ranch. “Is this part of your usual training routine?” he asked.
“No. But you looked like you needed to get away from it all.”
Phantom looked over at her. “What made you think that?”
“The corners of your eyes get tight when something’s bothering you. You did that when I was telling you… When we were driving back from the horse show.” She didn’t want to bring up her story again. Once had been enough.
Phantom’s eyebrow lifted. “You’re far too perceptive for your own good, you know that?”
“Oh, really?” Elena smiled at him. “Just because I finally figured out your most basic tell? I’ve barely gotten used to your smiles.”
His lips twitched. “I don’t smile.”
Elena shook her head. “Do you know how to reach the back forty acres?” she asked, her voice light and teasing.
“I am part owner of this ranch.” He arched an eyebrow at her.
The late-afternoon hum of bugs surrounded them in the hot Texas sun, and she flashed him one of her brightest smiles. “Good. Last one to get there is a rotten egg.” She laughed at his shout of surprise, leaning over her horse’s neck and urging it forward. The wind whipped across her sweat-dampened face, carrying the scent of dust and mesquite. She moved farther forward over the horse’s withers, the coarse mane brushing against her skin.
Weaving in and out of the trees, Elena guided her horse toward the back forty, leaning low over its neck and encouraging it to run faster. She was startled when she noticed Phantom from the corner of her eye, riding up fast on her left side. He was shooting in and out of the shrubbery, also leaning low and effortlessly encouraging his horse to move at a speed she hadn’t thought possible with Phantom’s tall, muscular weight added to its load.
She encouraged her mare to move even faster, standing up in the stirrups and leaning forward, tangling her hands in the equine’s mane. When she rounded the next tree, though, she was shocked to see Phantom edging ahead of her. She nudged her horse with her heels, but it wasn’t enough.
Phantom pulled up at the fence and waited there, a large smile across his face. It was the happiest she had ever seen him, and the competitive streak in her took a back seat to the joy she felt from the ride. He was laughing again, and excitement zinged through her. She, too, was laughing by the time she stopped her horse alongside his, turning so she could face him directly.
“I would like to be extremely ticked that you just beat me, but I forgot I was going up against a man who used to train racehorses.” She smiled up at him.
“You did that on purpose.” He was still smiling broadly at her.
“If you are trying to imply that I let you win, you are sorely mistaken. I fought as hard as I possibly could to beat you. Now, if you’re referring to the fact that I could tell you needed to let off a little steam…” She shrugged. “Guilty as charged.” They were close to each other, their horses breathing heavily, and she couldn’t get enough of his smile.
“Elena…you are an amazing woman. You realize that, don’t you?”
Elena’s breath caught in her throat. The way he looked at her made her long for the feeling of his skin touching hers again, even though she knew her thoughts were far from professional. But, oh, how she wanted it. If only he did too…
And suddenly they were kissing, his mouth pressed to hers, and she was kissing him back. The feel of his firm lips brought her warmth that had nothing to do with the late-afternoon sun.
The movement of their horses caused them to break apart, and they both stared at each other. Elena knew she w
as breathing as heavily as her horse, and her lips felt tender. Her eyes searched Phantom’s face. Which one of us started that? All she could think about was tasting him, inhaling his unique scent that reminded her of the leather saddle soap she had just been using and his own warm musk.
He watched her as closely as she watched him. Slowly he licked his lips, and she felt the breath shudder out of her. “You taste like cherries.” His tone wasn’t the same easy coolness that she had grown accustomed to. The husky sound wrapped around her and made every nerve ending in her body spring to life.
“Do you like cherries?”
“On you I do,” he replied softly. “Elena…”
Her heart pounded in her chest. She didn’t know what his next words were going to be, and she didn’t know if she wanted to hear them, whether they were to ask for another kiss or apologize for the one they had just shared. She shook her head. “Let’s not make any excuses for what just happened. It was amazing. Let’s leave it at that.”
He shook his head in return. “I just got to kiss a beautiful woman, and she kissed me back. I don’t see the need for any excuses.”
She felt a blush burning up her neck to her cheeks. “Good. I like your smile. Your laugh is something I’m growing particularly fond of, though I’ve only heard it a couple of times. You should do it more often.”
“I get the feeling that isn’t going to be hard to do with you around. Now, what do I get if I beat you back to the barn?”
Chapter 7
As a Congressman, his schedule never stayed the same. One day he would meet with constituents, the next he would be arguing the merits of the next bill up for vote with his fellow party members. He rarely had a moment to himself, and it seemed everywhere he turned, there was a reporter hoping to either catch him saying something that could make him look bad, or wanting an exclusive statement from him about current legislation.
A SEAL Always Wins Page 6