Code Name: Ghost (A Warrior's Challenge 1) (36 page)

Her feet sunk into the soft sand, taking an
unsteady step back. “No, I can’t, and I’m not going to argue about
it.”

“Why not?”

“Why do you think?” So much for not
arguing.

“I have three other bedrooms,” he reasoned
quickly. He cleared his throat. “Just until the Shark is
found.”

“No way.”

“Then I’ll live with you.”

She sputtered. The thought of them staying
under the same roof was ludicrous. “Yeah, there’s a plan. Can’t
wait until you ask me what time I’ll be home so you can have your
date out of my place before I get there,” she said bitterly. “Or
worse yet, come home and see you tangled up with her on my
couch.”

“Women!” he laughed. “I haven’t been with a
woman in months.” He paused, gazing at her, a grin etching itself
on his lips.

Crossing her arms, she waited for his next
move. They were sparring for position, again. Admitting she didn’t
want to see him with another woman inferred she was jealous. Which
of course she was not. “Sure, and I’m the Maharaja and Libby is a
virgin.”

“What did you get me for my birthday?”

“What?” What the hell was he up to? “I don’t
even know when your birthday is.”

“January tenth, and you’re going to let me
live with you for my birthday present.”

Words rear-ended each other in her throat
like a highway crash. “Commander, be reasonable.” His hand swooped
behind her neck and his gaze hardened so fast it scared her.

“Kayla, you’re either living with me or I’m
living with you. If the Shark was in your place, he can do it
again. We can dance around this all fuckin’ night if you want, but
I’m not taking chances when it comes to you.”

The intensity of his gaze stilled her.
“Why?”

Stuffing his hands in his jean pockets, he
stared at the ground. He reminded her of a nervous boy all of a
sudden. Caught in the act and not wanting to fess up.

“Maybe I should just leave.”

‘No,” bolted from his mouth.

“If I’m not here, I’m not a target am I? I
have lots of leave built up. I could go on a vacation.”

“Then I’ll come with you.”

Her jaw dropped in surprise. “Are you
crazy?”

He brushed her cheek with a tender sweep.
“The fact that you’re jealous with the thought I’d bring someone to
your place is—interesting.” His jaw tightened with a knowing
grin.

God, he was such an observant bastard. “I’m
not jealous.”

“Really?” He drew her wrist up as he pressed
his thumb a little harder against her pulse to bring her attention
to it. “You’re lying.”

Son of a bitch.

* * * *

Spending four uninterrupted weeks with Kayla
in some place hot and exotic, a place that didn’t need clothes,
ingrained itself like a bullet in his chest. The look in her eyes
gave him hope for a millisecond until she shook her head.

“You can’t go on holiday, they need you
here.”

“They always need me, Kayla. Red will pull
up the slack. He might have the position of Captain of the Port,
but you’ve probably figured out a SEAL never really retires from
being a SEAL. He’s involved as much today as he always was, for the
exception of going into the field.”

“I’m safer at work anyway.”

That was true, but not as safe as she’d be
in his arms, laying in the hot sand, and him making love to
her.

“I’m not living with you and we’re
definitely not vacationing together. Forget it, Commander
Austen.”

“Can’t,” he said lifting his eyes to hers.
“Spend tomorrow with me and my family,” He paused— “I want you to
come home with me. God, you and my sisters will get along like evil
peas in a pod.”

A laugh creased her cheeks, but she shook
her head. “I’m working.”

Was this how their lives would always be,
firing arguments back and forth? The only problem was it was so
damn sexy. “Last time I looked, I was in charge. You’re not.”

“Every time you’re backed into a corner you
pull rank,” she said, slapping her hands on her hips.

Crossing his arms, he said, “It’s the last
line of defense I have with such a stubborn woman to deal
with.”

“I’m not bloody stubborn, I just can’t live
with you.”

“Give me a reason why not?”
Goddamnit,
just admit you feel something for me.
This woman had more power
than the sea, the way she’d swept into his life and sent his senses
scattering to the four winds. His world had turned into veils of
evil, not so evil and waiting for evil, but somehow she laid them
all to rest. He’d move heaven and earth for this woman. He’d
spilled his guts last night, telling her what she meant to him, but
she didn’t give an inch.

Kayla took an unsteady step backward,
putting distance between them. “I won’t be victimized. I didn’t do
it before. I won’t do it now. If the Shark wants me, he can come
and get me.”

In his spiraling frustration, he’d almost
missed it. His pulse heightened.
Careful, Thane.
Something
had just slipped out and it was important. He watched realization
spark in her eyes, and then something else sparked—fear, the
darkest kind.

“I’ve got to go.” She turned sharply.

A gust of cool wind blew past them, turning
the tide of light bantering between them and bringing a horrible
foreboding. A piece of the puzzle fell into place with a sickening
snap. Had someone tried to kill her before? Is this what Lapierre
had alluded to? He’d bet his life it happened at or near
Christmas.

“Stop,” he commanded. She did, but her back
remained to him. He could feel the ice cracking under both of them.
“When?”

Only the sea answered. He waited, holding
his breath.

For a split second her body wavered, then
she collapsed to her knees. He threw himself down in front of her.
Clutching her hands together as if she were praying, her eyes were
open but not seeing. “Please, Daniel, not again. Please.”

Who the hell was Daniel?
For the
first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do. Kayla began to
rock back and forth, her entire body shaking. Fox was right. This
was something wicked. He’d led her to the middle of a rope bridge,
and one side was beginning to unravel. He’d seen the symptoms of
Post Traumatic Stress before.

Diversion.

How?

He fought his battles with physical
strength, mental fortitude, endurance and weapons. He couldn’t use
any of those. He could command, because he’d done it for so long,
but this called for his weakest skills, empathy and words.

“Kayla, listen to me. The past can’t touch
you. It has to come through me, and I won’t allow it. This is our
first Christmas—ours together.” She fell forward, and he watched
her claw her fingers into the sand. God help him, he’d pushed the
wrong button.
Think
. “Whatever it is, you will never go
through it again, because I will always protect you.” Her breathing
came in short little gasps, and she shook all over. “Kayla, can you
hear me?”

Nothing. He wanted to fold her in his arms,
but he knew from his training he shouldn’t.

“Kayla, you’re experiencing a physical
response to a memory. I’m here and you’re here with me. You’re
safe. Just take deep breaths, sweetheart.” This was emotional
trauma, a panic attack, a bad one. She was battling with her past.
There was no way of knowing which side was winning. Movement behind
him put him on alert.

“Is everything all right down there?” came a
stern voice and a beam of a flashlight settled on them.

Jesus not now. “We’re fine,” he called back.
“Stay there.”

“What’s the matter with her?” came a gruff
response as the cop stepped off the sidewalk toward them.

“I said stay where you are. I’m Commander
Thane Austen from the Amphibious Base.”

Of course the fuckin’ cop didn’t listen. He
stopped outside of striking distance, and crouched down. “Is she on
something?”

“No, she’s not on something.” Kayla remained
on all fours, shaking. He had to get rid of this friggin’ cop.
“Kayla, it’s alright. It’s the police.” He backed away, but didn’t
take his eyes off her, and the cop didn’t take his eyes off him. “I
think she’s having a Post Traumatic episode.”

The cop tilted his head, surveying her. “Do
I need to call an ambulance?”

“No, give her a second.”

“What happened to her?”

Shit
. “I’m not sure.”

The cop adjusted his hat and breathed out
heavily. “My brother’s a Marine. He went through a bad bout of this
after Desert Storm. It was pretty debilitating. Is she seeing
someone?”

“I don’t know.”

The cop turned accusing eyes on him. “What
do you know?” His radio squawked, and he turned it down.

Kayla’s head rose with the sound of the
radio. She still looked confused, but her eyes focused on the cop
for a moment and then turned a vacant stare toward the water.

“What’s her name?”

“Kayla Banks.”

“Middle name?”

“Katarina.” If he hadn’t reviewed her file
yesterday, he wouldn’t have known. How could he not know her middle
name? “She works at the base for me, but she’s Canadian.”

“I’ll call it in, and see if we can get our
next door neighbors to the north to give us information.”

He couldn’t help Kayla unless he knew the
whole story or at least part of it. Who was Daniel? She’d never
mentioned anyone by that name. The cop wandered back to the
sidewalk as Thane kept an eye on her. The gusts of wind lifted her
hair, but she remained motionless for minutes. At least she’d
stopped shaking. This was his fault. Why hadn’t he listened to Fox,
to his men?

“Commander Austen.” The cop motioned for him
to join him. Each step took more effort than the next. He stopped
within six feet of the cop, his body bristling.

Before the cop opened his mouth, Kayla’s
voice ghosted through the air. “Don’t tell him.” Both he and the
cop watched Kayla stagger to her feet.

He didn’t know whether he was angry or
relieved.

“Ma’am, do you need help?”

She shook her head, and swept her hands
through her hair looking shell-shocked. One second of opportunity
was all he had. “Who and how bad?” he said quietly, glaring at the
cop leaving no room for indecision.

The cop glanced over Thane’s shoulder, and
answered in a low voice, “Her husband, attempted murder. Ten years
ago—today.”

Husband? Murder? Holy fuck.

He’d felt plenty of earthquakes living in
California, but the revelation turned the ground to liquid beneath
his feet, and it wanted to swallow him up. His mind blanked, too
much information crashing together at the same time. They say
knowing a little can be far worse than knowing everything.
Okay,
get it together, SEAL.
Kayla appeared in front of him.

“I’ll take my leave. Transfer me in the
meantime. Keep your SEALs away from me.”

She made a stumbling turn and ran. For a
split second he thought about letting her go, but only for a split
second. He caught her in the middle of the lawn, snagging her
around the waist. “Hear me out.”

The small quakes in her body shook his to
the core. She stared vacantly at him.

“Listen.” He gently touched her cheek so
she’d focus on him. “I will never run away from you again, and you
will never run from me. What you experienced back there is your
mind trying to heal. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.” She
blinked, but remained silent. “We got over it. We—got—over—it. And
we’re going to do it again and again, until the demons are
gone.”

She covered her face and shook her head.

“Kayla Katarina Banks, I want you safe. If
it means being with me twenty-four seven, that’s what’s going to
happen. Besides that,” he grinned at her even though he felt weak,
unsure, “your present is at my place.”

Okay, an amateur’s tactic at best, but what
the hell could he do now that he’d stepped over the line in the
sand. Wrapping her in his arms and loving her for the next fifty
years came to mind with lightning speed, but what struck the
deepest chord was the distance he’d go to protect her.

Her eyes cleared and focused on him. “You
bought me a present? A real Christmas present?”

She sounded like a little girl, as if
unbelieving that someone would do that for her. “I picked it up
overseas. When I saw it, I thought of you.” His stomach twisted
into a knot watching a hopeless expression creep across her
features.

Letting out a deep breath, she said, “I
appreciate what you’re trying to do. If you just let me work
through Christmas, I’ll be all right. I promise.”

“Kayla, let’s drive over to my place, pick
up a few things, and then I want to stop by the base and get my
present.” He paused reading her resistance.
You’re slipping
fast, SEAL,
but when it came to Kayla the slope was at a
hundred and eighty degree angle. “Give me tonight and tomorrow. You
and me. Thane and Kayla.” He watched her take a nip from her bottom
lip then gnaw on it. Thank God in heaven—for once she was going to
give in.

She’d acquiesced to letting him stay with
her. Expecting to be put in the guest room last night, she’d
surprised him when she’d plunked his bag on the floor at the end of
her bed, then left him to change. No words. No sultry look. No
backward glance at all.

A grin cracked his lips when she’d walked
out of the bathroom dressed in pure white flannel pajamas, neck to
toes covered, delivering her message loud and clear. It didn’t do a
damn thing to squash his desire, though. Kayla was the softest,
warmest woman he’d ever known, and sleeping with her in his arms on
Christmas Eve was the best present he’d had since he was seven.

At two in the morning, she began to fuss in
her sleep and it woke him. She moaned as if she was in pain. Her
words were unintelligible, but he could hear the distress in her
tone. Tears slid down her face, and she fought something back with
her hands as her breathing labored.