She was gone when I came out of the shower, which was just as well because I still had work to take care of before running her back to the hospital later. With Lyon in charge there, we weren't held to the same visiting hours as everyone else, which was a good thing, all things considered.Her lamb was awake and making a racket in her pen to be let out, so I took her into the closet with me. I think the thing is growing on me. I got dressed and headed to the office feeling much lighter than I have in days but still braced for the blowback from the guys for carrying her pet in my arms. I opened the door and stopped short. Lyon was having some kind of showdown with someone on his computer screen if the scowl on his face was anything to go by, and I wondered who’d pulled his tail. Everyone else had stopped what they were doing and was watching him, but I couldn’t tell from their faces what we had going on. They’re pretty good and camouflaging their feelings, so there was no tension in the
“Sometimes, I think these men are from a whole other universe. They’re certainly nothing like the boys we grew up with or any of the men around here, that’s for sure.” Chantal was on another one of her spiels. Ever since she’d reminded me that she had to leave soon, it’s as if she was doing her best to convince me, or herself, that she was leaving me in capable hands. “Speaking of which, did you know Gabriel has a kickass bike? It arrived when you two were gone.”“Really?” Now, why did that set my little heart to racing? Her little switch in conversation completely out of left field had my mind changing track to keep up. She’d been jumping from one topic to the next for the last ten minutes or so since I came into the room.Now instead of worrying about what I was going to do once she left, my mind was filled with visuals of Gabriel riding. Tattoos, a bike, and that amazing face and body. Add that to all the other things I’m coming to know about Gabriel, and I’m in a whole lot of tro
“That was a pretty good fishing expedition you went on there, Lyon.” He just grunted as he gathered up some stuff to take back to the clubhouse with him for the night. I think his kid got her work ethic from him because he doesn’t seem to ever stop.“You mind telling me what that was about?”“No, but I’ll tell you what I found. She doesn’t know anything about Sam, so for the next few days, we’re going to hang around the clubhouse and see what we can dig up.”It’s silly, but I sometimes forget that place exists. We’d been so focused on everything else that it just slipped my mind. It’s only been a few days since I allowed my dad’s old crew back anyway, plus the place has been wired from top to bottom, so there isn’t much we could miss of the goings on over there, but if he thought it was a good idea, I’m sure it is. He’s proved himself time and again.I knew he was up to something the way he’d been talking to Silla at dinner, but he’s so smooth with his shit that it was hard to tell for
I brushed the hair back from her face before turning away to head for the shower. This is where I do my best thinking when there’re no distractions, and the water helps clear my head. Lyon had given me a lot to think about, yes, but I had other things on my mind. First was finding out if Sam had ever harmed her in the way that I was dreading and figuring out how to go about doing that without causing her any trauma. I even thought of asking Chantal just to spare Silla, but that didn’t seem right to me. Besides, for some reason, I’m pretty sure if Chantal had that kind of information, Wolf would’ve drawn it out of her already.That made me feel less restless as I stripped down to get into the shower. It was then I remembered the little jewelry box that I’d all but forgotten in my pants pocket. I thought about just slipping the earrings in while she was asleep; that way, I’d have to answer fewer questions from her, and my mind went to all the ways I might surprise her in the future, and
I don’t think my body stopped vibrating for a good half an hour. Excitement, and not just for the earrings, ran through me as he got me settled against his side, and I knew he could feel it but didn’t care. I must’ve thanked him a thousand times but didn’t care either that my unsophistication was showing. At least I hadn’t asked him how much the diamonds had cost.I touched my ears almost as often as I thanked him, and the smile on my face was going to be there for at least a month. There were so many things going through my head, things that I couldn’t share with him because they were all about him, but I was sure he wouldn’t let me run down the hall to see Chantal, so I laid there with my head on his chest counting his heartbeats and being happier than I’ve ever been in my life.I didn’t want Gabriel to think that I was the kind of girl who only cared about things like this, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t beyond happy with his gift. “Gabriel, you know you don’t have to buy me th
If anyone had told me that I’d get such pleasure from just holding a sleeping woman in my arms, maybe I would’ve done it sooner. Then again, no, I doubt that seriously, only because there was no her in my life before. I’ve never wanted this with anyone else; in fact, quite the opposite; I preferred sleeping alone, even when I was seeing someone, though I’ve had many an argument over it in the past.I never understood why women made such a big deal about spending the night, or maybe I did and subconsciously shied away from the intimacy because this was something that should be experienced with the right one. I for damn sure hadn’t been thinking along those lines all the times I’d denied a lover the opportunity, but like a schoolboy in his first blushes of love, I find myself being happy that I did, that she was the first.I’d always had a different excuse, though, at least in my mind. For me, being able to let my guard down around anyone, trusting anyone enough to do so, had never been
We both stopped moving; I think I even stopped breathing for a second or more, waiting for her reaction. I sucked in my breath and waited for her to pull away, to say something that would bring me back from the edge I was headed for because I knew I couldn’t do it on my own. For the first time in my life, I was at someone else’s mercy. I felt weak and strong at the same time, which is freaky as shit, but I had enough control left to walk away if that’s what she wanted, even though my body was screaming out for hers. It's been a while since I’d been this close to anyone, but even as I thought it, I knew that this was different than anything that had come before. This closeness was unlike anything I’d shared with anyone else because my emotions were involved. Something warm and sweet flowed through me and settled around my heart, and made its way south to my cock, which was straining to be free.I held my breath, still waiting for her to pull away, knowing that it would kill me if she
The heart is a strange thing, with a hundred different avenues leading in and out with each breath, each steady pump, and so many chambers. I didn’t really understand that until this very moment. That there were so many different little pockets to this one organ that, up until a few seconds ago, was just the thing that made me live.I didn’t believe in the heart’s ability to talk to you, to tell you things that even your head was afraid to say or couldn’t say. I didn’t know that your life’s blood could be tied up in someone else until I felt the evidence of her innocence at my fingertip just as her eyes opened on mine, and for a split second, I saw into her soul.I don’t know if I’ll remember this moment forever or if I’ll recall that very feeling that pierced my chest and made its way into the very fabric of my being ever again, but at that moment as it happened, I knew that it was the most precious thing I’d ever experienced in my entire life. And I’d shared it with her.I instinctiv
This is insane. I thought I had it under control, but I didn’t expect the night to be like this. It wasn’t because of all the people that were here in the arena, though it had to be at full capacity, which was around two hundred and fifty thousand people, give or take about ten. No, what was bothering the hell out of me was the fact that my girl was in the middle of this shit. I didn’t think it would bother me this much, especially since I knew that there was no danger here, that the whole tunnel thing was the only thing going on, and the other players had already been taken down, but I couldn’t shake it off. I had this feeling like the feeling you get when someone has you in their crosshairs, but you don’t know which direction they’re in. It could be a case of transferred anxiety because Lyon has been ranting and raving since he got here about some shit going down. It was hell trying to hide my thoughts and feelings from Silla, who was happier than I’d ever seen her. Part
Lieutenant Morgan was more excited about the tickets than even I expected. She was so distracted that that excitement led to her being the one who invited me to tour the tunnels. I didn’t have to use my well-rehearsed speech to talk her into anything. It was so easy I almost grew suspicious until I remembered that this was just like the woman I know. She had no reason to suspect me of anything, and with my clearance, she’d see no issue letting me on site. But as we walked and talked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone else seemed to know her as well. Namely Lyon’s daughter. But how was that possible? I’m pretty sure the kid never met her in the flesh. While she talked about how excited her kid was going to be I was looking around for anything that would give any indication that there was more going on here and saw nothing. Not that I didn’t believe Lyon, I did, but that’s how good the operation was. We hopped into a golf cart, and she drove deeper into the tunne
“Where did you go? Did you have fun?” I tried not to sound too much like I was grilling her, but Flanagan and Quinn had me a bit paranoid with the things they’d said about their women and the shit they got up to. Not that I expect Silla to do any of those things; my little innocent is too sheltered for that. But there are other issues at hand. Like the fact that I’d only just started to convince myself that with Sam out of the picture, she was no longer in any danger, plus the fact that the mess I’d just waded through was geared toward kids, so she wasn’t in any real danger here. But I don’t know why I get the feeling that the guys are holding something back. I think Lyon might have told them to ease me into it, which begs the question of just how much worse it can get. I still have no idea what it is that they want me to do in the tunnels or even if I’d actually get the chance. Just because I’m military doesn’t mean they’ll roll out the red carpet, especially if they’re using
I guess Flanagan was wrong after all because the places the women drove to just seemed to be the usual tourist traps. They did take a little detour on the way back, but it seemed to be a more scenic route, something anyone might do when visiting a new place. It can’t be overlooked the fact that the mountains here are some of the most beautiful in the country. “I guess they did only go for a joyride after all.” I made the distinction out loud when I saw Flanagan and Quinn mapping the route they’d taken. “It’s good that you think that.” “What do you mean?” “Not sure yet; I’ll let you know when we figure out what they’re up to. I have to get this information to Lyon.” He reached for his phone while I went back to what I was doing, feeling at ease for the first time in hours since she left. Every once in a while, one of my boys would make a sound of disgust from across the room, but since I’d already given them the option to bow out, which they all refused, I saw it a
“What’s wrong boss? Something bothering you?” Mace asked me quietly as I watched the door where the women had just left. “No, it’s not that.” I couldn’t give him an answer because I didn’t know what it was that was making me twitchy about the whole thing. I wasn’t sure if it was my natural sixth sense or my new overprotectiveness where she was concerned. It didn’t help that Lyon’s men didn’t look too settled either at the idea of their women going joyriding in the middle of an Op. Maybe that was it. This whole situation has left me feeling more bereft than my first firefight. I’d rather dodge bullets in the desert than deal with this evil shit that I’d been pouring over for the last few hours. How anyone could deal with this shit day in and day out and not lose part of themselves is beyond me. It's only been a few hours, and my skin is already starting to crawl. Now, I’ve always known that men can be evil monsters; I’ve seen some of the worst they can do to each other, or
Shit, blast and damn. How do I leave her behind without hurting her feelings? She’s so dang innocent; I was sure a rebuff, though not meant to be one, would hurt her feelings. Was I ever this innocent? No, but some of my new sisters used to be when we first met, so I know the signs. I was thinking hard about a plausible excuse when she clapped her hands across her mouth and looked at me like she’d committed a crime.“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean… I just got so relaxed with you two; it’s like we’ve known each other forever. I didn’t mean to overstep; I’ll just go back to the room and leave you two alone.” She rambled off the words before starting to walk away, and both Kelly and I had to stop her. Okay, this one might be more sheltered than the others, and it almost broke my heart. Over the last couple of years, I’d come to recognize the signs of past trauma in women, and she had a boatload. “No, you didn’t overstep. I was just worried about how your man would r
This is happening. Things have been moving really fast in the last few days and the honeymoon was over. True to his word, Lyon had sent in a crew, or squad as he calls them. Two couples, the men seeming just as anxious as I was, having their women close to this shit. I wasn’t sure how we were supposed to do this, keeping the women in the dark, I mean. But I needn’t have worried because Quinn and Shane knew exactly what they were doing when it came to that part of the Op. Silla, I was happy to see, was only too happy to make two new friends, and these women must’ve taken classes or something because they had her hooked in no time at all. I’d barely seen her interactions with Chantal back at the house, but it was good to see that she played well with others. There was no cattiness among these women and I couldn’t help but notice the difference between these two, Arianna and Kelly and Nikki. It’s been days since I even thought about her, but I guess I figured one headach
I looked these people up when I had a chance, and I have to say, Lyon and his kid do get around. I wouldn't have pegged him for the type, but then again, what do I know? Silla was all but jumping out of her skin with excitement ever since I mentioned their names, but I have to count that as a plus since it kept her even more in the dark about what was really going on. I brought my boys up to speed on things later that night once she'd knocked herself out after playing Rodeo Queen on my dick. At least the news knocked the disrespectful smirks off my team's faces, and they switched gears from sticking their noses in my shit and got down to the business we were there for. "I'm only telling you now because it's been finalized on their end. When Lyon called earlier, it was just an idea they were playing around with, but now, apparently, it's a done deal. Here's the thing…" I filled them in on what Lyon had shared in his latest phone call, i.e., the fact that this Ryder person's past con
Penance, it has got to be. I can't come up with any other reason for me to be dealing with this mess right now. I've always prided myself on being at the top of my game in any given situation, but this shit has thrown me for a loop. For what has got to be the first time in my adult life, I find myself in a situation that I'm not completely in control of. Right now, I should be focused on the job; nothing is more important than that, at least there didn't used to be. But now, even with the danger I was sure was here, given the Intel we'd collected so far, all I could think about was her. And not even in a sexual, I wanna jump her bones every time I see her kind of way, but more like how can I put her in my pocket and keep her safely away from all this shit type of thing. It's not something I expected, not to this degree anyway, and no one ever told me that these things could happen, and if they had, I'd have said not to me. But I am living it, so it's real, and that brings me back t