Code Name: Kayla's Fire (7 page)

She swiveled her head,
at the same time shaking it. A slap landed on her derriere, not hard, but
enough for her to pay attention. “What was that for?” The same hand slipped
over her ass with pleasurable pressure to soothe her as he folded her in his
arms.

“Don’t be stubborn,” he
ordered, leaning over and brushing his lips against hers. He inched back, and
his eyes shot back and forth looking into hers. “I love you, Kayla. I don’t
care if you ever say it back, but I know you do, and I know you’re fighting
it.”

She swallowed, and her
gaze darted across the road, landing on something unexpected. Standing next to
a green Chevy, Paul, their young but overzealous security guard, stood watching
them. Her brows pinned together, and that caused Thane to crank his head. He
nodded, but Paul didn’t nod back.

“Hmm.” Thane straightened.

The kid continued to
stare without waving at them. “Hey, Paul. How’s it going?” she said, raising
her voice to reach him. “You don’t think…”

“No.” Thane barely
moved his lips. “He’s just a young, geeky kid.” Thane grabbed her hand, and
they strode across the street. As they got closer, Paul started to fidget, but
he didn’t take his narrowed attention off them. “Got a day off, Paul?” Thane
asked in a friendly manner, friendly for an intimidating giant.

“No, sir,” he said, his
gaze shooting to the ground. “Hi, Kayla.”

“Evening shift?” she
asked. Thane wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her in.

“Just lunch break.”
Paul sucked on his lower lip, and then darted a glance at Thane. “That’s a nice
bike, sir.”

“That it is. Do you
ride?” Thane’s words seemed harmless enough, but she knew the interrogation was
underway.

Paul began to roll on
the balls of his feet. A signature sign he was uncomfortable. “No, but I want
to get a bike. My girlfriend likes them.”

Thane nodded with a
relaxed grin, but evaluated his every movement. “You’ve got a girl, huh? Nice.”

“Yeah, kinda. We met
online. We haven’t met in person yet.” Paul shuffled backwards and then
shoulder checked. “I mean, she is my girlfriend. We’re just both busy. I’m
still training every day. I want to be a SEAL like my dad.”

Thane’s hand meandered
down her arm. “Your father is a good man. He’s on deployment right now, isn’t
he?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s his KA-Bar,
isn’t it?”

Kayla stiffened.
KA-Bar? That was a knife issued to SEALs among other things. She scoured Paul,
and saw the hint of a knife hilt near his belt.

Paul shuffled
uncomfortably again. “He gave it to me. It’s the one he got when he completed
his SQTs.”

“Whose name’s on it?”
Thane asked.

“Petty Officer Seth
Nolan,” Paul said quietly. “Dad said he died in the eighties.”

“That’s true. He spent
most of his years in Little Creek. Team Two.”

Paul seemed to saw-up
enough courage to look Thane in the eyes. Do you carry yours, sir?”

Thane shook his head.
“No, I don’t. I keep it at the base. I’ve never taken it into combat with me.”

“How come? Dad always used
to take his. Said it was good luck.”

“I never wanted blood
to fall on the man’s name engraved on it. Enough was spilled when he lost his
life in the service. Couldn’t think of a good enough reason to spill more on
it.”

Paul pondered Thane’s
answer while he nibbled his cheek. “Are—” He paused and breathed in heavily.
“Are you and Snow White, um, are you guys…?” His fingers knotted together.

Thane waited patiently
for him to finish his sentence, his jaw angling with humor watching the kid
wiggle uncomfortably in his skin.

“I didn’t know….”

“That Snow White and I
are friends,” he finished for Paul who nodded vigorously, his jowls jiggling at
the same time.

She could tell Thane
was assessing his response. If he was telling the truth, then he couldn’t be
the Shark, but it was hard to tell with Paul. He always seemed nervous.

“Snow White is watched
all the time. One of us is always with her.”

“You’re protecting her
from the Shark.” He visibly relaxed. “That’s good to know.”

Thane’s head jerked a
little, and a quirk of his brow told her he’d figured something out. “You
haven’t been following Snow White, have you?”

Paul’s cheeks blushed
on his pale skin. “Maybe, not that I see her out very often,” he admitted. “I
thought she was living with Petty Officer Callahan. I thought he was her
boyfriend. She lives at his place.”

“Yes, she does, but
it’s because we can secure the building.”

“That’s good.” A smile
bloomed on his expression, making him look even younger.

“We’re gonna take off,
Paul. Thanks for keeping an eye on her, but I think you can stand down. She’s
in safe hands.”

Thane forked his
fingers through hers. They both waved and returned to the bike. Paul hopped
into the old green Chevy, and gave them a healthy wave as he drove off.

“Sociopaths don’t have
to be old to be dangerous, Thane,” she said, searching every face that wandered
by them as she mindlessly took the helmet he handed her.

“No, I know that, but he
doesn’t fit the profile. Kayla?”

“Huh?” Sure that no one
in the crowd looked like a serial killer, she gave him her attention.

Thane’s large hand
engulfed her neck, and his thumb slid down her jaw. “Sweetheart, today is about
relaxing. Can you do that for me? Or do we have to spend the weekend in bed in
order for you to put him out of your head?” Thane’s finger played with the tab
on her jacket, and he slowly pulled it low enough to be indecent, showing her
breasts plumping from her bra.

“Thane, behave.”

“We ride until five,
and wherever that takes us, we stop, because I don’t have much more patience
than that before I need my mouth on those.”

Moist heat slid between
her thighs, and she shifted, but it was enough to tell him his words affected
her, and him. She slid the helmet over her head, and he did the same, but he
wasn’t getting away with his comment this time.

Thane started the
engine, and kicked the stand clear. Just before he entered traffic, she purred
in his ear, “I don’t want to go to Mexico. I want to go that way.” She pointed
up the coast. “I want a quaint little seaside B&B, a balcony overlooking
the ocean, and you naked against me, while I kiss every inch of you until
you’re hard and moaning in agony.”

They both slammed
forward, her helmet knocking his when he hit the brakes. She heard him release
a deep breath. In a gruff voice, he said. “We’re cutting it to four hours,
instead. You are in a whole lot of trouble, woman.”

Thane wove into the
traffic, and she hung on with the G-force wanting to rip her off the bike.
“Patience, SEAL,” she reprimanded.

“Don’t have any when it
comes to you.”

Three hours was enough
on her bottom, but it had been a glorious three hours. The sun warm, but not
too warm, the coastal breeze filling her senses, and the enormous warrior she
snugged up to, in control of her safety as he drove with confidence along the
101. With every mile, the Shark got farther away, and she gladly left him
behind.

Thane knew exactly
where he was going, and didn’t waste a second getting there. Trees surrounded the
B&B for privacy, but it had an endless view of the Pacific crashing against
the rocks below their bedroom. As evening fell, he had dinner brought to them,
and showed her his softer side, the one that set her defenses adrift.
Candlelight and a failing sun completed the perfect moment when they stood on
the deck. Thane’s arms draped protectively around her while their minds
wandered, watching the ocean swell. His chest was warm against her back, their
skin sensitive after making love.

“Are you happy, Kayla?”
he asked quietly against her ear.

Her wandering thoughts
paused. He never asked questions like that. Thane strategized every move, like
she did. “Yes. Why?” But, she knew why. Greg was coming tomorrow.

Chapter Six

“Lieutenant Commander, welcome to San Diego.”

Greg Lapierre swung the bag from his shoulder to the ground, and
extended a hand accompanied by a wary glance. “Commander Austen, where’s
Kayla?” A streak of worry made a debut, but vanished as quickly as it appeared.

“It’s Captain now, and a team overseas needed support. They ran into a
roadblock, the kind Kayla’s good at unraveling.” It was partly true, but he’d
caused the roadblock, so he could get to Lapierre before she did. He had no
doubt she’d figure it out, so he had to hurry.

Lapierre nodded. “A chance for us to have a discussion, is that it?’

“Feel like a beer?” Thane draped himself in his diplomacy cloak. It
was the only way to deal with Lapierre and not risk losing Kayla. This man was
his competition. It didn’t take thousands of training dollars in psychological
specialization to read Kayla’s deep affection for her ex-brother-in-law. What
worried him was that affection was one step left of a different kind of love,
one that would have Lapierre’s ring on Kayla’s finger.

“Guess I could do that.”

Physically their statures matched, although Greg’s features were dark,
his skin swarthy and his eyes brilliant green. The man didn’t show a single
sign of weakness. If he was burning out, he obscured it with his dominance.

Being good enough for JTF was on par with becoming a SEAL. He
respected the Canadian forces; their expertise and commitment to ending the
reign of terror was equal to the United States. The men they chose were like
his own. If Lapierre was American, he had no doubt he’d want a man like him on
his teams.

Settling on the patio at Breakers, the favored local hangout, Thane
ordered a couple beers from the waitress, Amanda, who was giving the new
man-flesh a healthy gape. Lapierre graced her with a once-over, like any
trained warrior, he took her in without reflecting a thing. “Beautiful woman,”
Thane said after she walked away.

Lapierre gave a short nod, but didn’t chase her with his eyes. This
guy really was dedicated to Kayla, either that or he already surmised why Thane
had brought him here—interrogation.

“How is she, Captain? I want the truth. She told me you know what—my
brother did.”

“Did she tell you what happened at Christmas?”

“Her brevity leaves a lot of details out, and she does it so I don’t
hop on a plane. Christmas is hard for her. Until this year, we spent every
Christmas I wasn’t deployed, together. This year, she wouldn’t allow me to
come.”

“Yet, here you are.” He gave Amanda a nod of thanks when she returned,
but wished like hell she hadn’t slipped a hand across his shoulders and offered
an enticing please-let’s-fuck-again smile before she turned to another table.
Lapierre’s watchful eyes filled with understanding, but he made no comment.

“I’m here because Kayla is my family.”

“Ex-family, and I know why you’re here. She sees you as a brother, but
you don’t just see her as a sister. You want more.”

“For twenty years I’ve been her protector and her friend, because
that’s all she’d allow. I can hear it in her voice. She’s maxed out, and she
needs a rest. Kayla’s always worked herself to the point of exhaustion, but she
does it for a reason.”

How could a guy like Lapierre not move on? For years he’d kept a flame
burning for Kayla, Thane wondered if he might not do the same. “She didn’t tell
you what happened when the Shark murdered the woman in my garage?”

Lapierre leaned forward, his body tensing. “No.”

“Since Christmas she’s been having minor Post Traumatic episodes.
Mostly shaking, withdrawing into her mind.”

Lapierre folded his hands, his jaw tightening as he listened.

“When she saw how the Shark tore the woman apart, she had a major
episode. We watched her relive the night your brother tried to kill her.
Watched her fight to survive.” The memory made him sick.

Lapierre’s forehead furrowed into tight lines.

“She’s scheduled to see a doc this week, but it’s going to take a lot
for me to get her there. She wants to deal with this herself, swears she
already has.”

“She did in the past. The first six months were the worst,” Lapierre admitted,
staring down into his beer. “Thrashing, sweating, screaming—nothing I could do
would bring her out of it, so I just held onto her until it was over.”

Thane’s stomach twisted.

He nodded. “You too, huh?”

“She’s experiencing these episodes because of her past, and now the
threat of the Shark has made them swarm. Kayla’s watched twenty-four seven, and
in the last two weeks they’ve eased off.”

“I knew something like this would happen.” He sat back in his chair,
and threw his sunglasses onto the table. “That’s why I want to take her away.
Give her a break.”

“You’re not fucking taking her anywhere.” Thane wasn’t going to beat
around the bush. “You want to try and woo her into going home with you.”

“You think you love her—”

“I know it,” he shot back.

“You don’t know her. Women like that waitress are more your speed,
Captain. You’ve never had a serious relationship before Kayla, have you?”
Lapierre asked with an accessing glare.

That…was none of his business. “Kayla thinks you’re on mandatory leave
because you’re burning out. You and your brother come from the same tree. Kayla
thinks you handled your past, controlled your anger. I doubt that.”

Lapierre’s jaw clenched and his eyes hardened. “If Kayla had chosen
me, she wouldn’t be here. She’d be home, safe. We’d have a family, and be celebrating
our twentieth anniversary, but I backed away, respecting my brother, and it was
a mistake I will always regret.”

Thane shoved his empty glass aside. “You’re probably right.”
Confessing he knew how much Lapierre meant to her, didn’t change much. Lapierre
was making an appearance because of her vulnerability, smelling opportunity. They
both settled back, gazing at the landscape. The sea rolled calmly around the
finger of deck built over the water. The pub wasn’t busy yet, and only a few
tables held base regulars.

 
“When is she off shift?” he
asked, glancing at his watch.

Amanda appeared, and eyed both of them. All it would take was one word
from them, and she’d be naked and waiting for either or both of them. Her hip
brushed against Lapierre, and he turned his intense green eyes on her, giving
her a closer look. “I don’t recognize you,” she said sweetly.

“That’s because I’m not from here,
cherie
.”

“French?” she said, lowering her eyelids, and giving Lapierre’s broad
fighting frame a sexy once-over.

“French Canadian.
Bonjour,
Mademoiselle
.” He’d only started to reach a hand to her when her fingers
slid into his.

“All business?” she asked. “Or is there room for some—sightseeing?”

Lapierre finally showed a sign of weakening, and draped a thirsty look
across Amanda’s delicious curves. “Visiting family,” he said.

“You two aren’t related, are you?” she asked, not letting go of
Lapierre’s hand as she slid a sexy look his way. He coughed out a laugh at
that. “No, definitely not—yet.” Thane couldn’t resist. “But, eventually through
marriage.”

Lapierre’s expression gave a sharp twist of disagreement.

“I get off in an hour,” Amanda said, drawing back Lapierre’s
attention. “Do you have any plans tonight?”

“Sorry,
cherie
, I do.”

“Well, you know where I work.”

When Amanda walked away, he said, “She’s sexy as hell and a sweet
gal.”

“I’m not a saint, Captain, but my heart is never going to change its
mind.”

“Greg?” Kayla’s call made them both look up abruptly.

“Angel.” Greg leaped out of his chair, and grabbed her in a whirling
hug. Her usual passive features shattered with the brightest smile, one that
twisted his heart, just like it had in the Middle East. She was so glad to see
Lapierre, and all her angst released itself in his arms. Fury gutted him when Lapierre
kissed her, too long and too deeply.

“How did you know we were here?” Thane interrupted.

She shrugged. “Good guess.” Lapierre had her back drawn to his chest,
and his arms wrapped around her midriff, just like he’d done in the desert.
Obviously, the warning about burying him there if he touched Kayla again,
wasn’t taken seriously.

“You’ve always been a good guesser,
Mon Belle
,” Lapierre rumbled in her ear. “A siren of the seas
casting magical spells.” She laughed, and swatted him on the ass.

Lapierre held her hand as she sat down. When she settled, he reached
for the other and cupped them in his, giving her a deep once-over. “Angel,
you’ve been holding out on me,” he said in a teasing but concerned way.

“What?” her eyes widened, and then narrowed as she shot a look his
way.

“You’ve been having your—moments—again,
non
?”

She bit her lip, and tried to pull away from him, but Lapierre
wouldn’t let her go. He tenderly brushed her cheek. “Don’t you dare lie to me,
Angel.”

She nodded. “Yes, but they’ve eased off, I’ve got it under control.”

He drew her hands to his lips, and gave them a quick kiss. “Right,” he
said as if he didn’t believe her.

“Don’t worry. Now, tell me about home.”

While Lapierre and Kayla caught up on people and places he didn’t
know, he ordered a round for them. Amanda was a sharp woman, and saw the same
thing he did in Lapierre’s expression. Love—pure, unadulterated love. Kayla
mirrored it, but without the final piece. He felt like a third wheel, but he
had no choice but to accept Lapierre. Kayla did not intend to let the man stray
too far.

With Kayla’s presence, Lapierre evolved into a different guy. He was
relaxed, sexually charged, and sending out all the signals a guy can send with
charm and warmth. They constantly touched each other, and it bothered him that
she seemed completely relaxed with Lapierre, more than she ever was with him.
She and Lapierre had chemistry, but Kayla withheld the final element that would
make them combustible.

“Can I take you out to dinner?” Lapierre asked.

“Sounds good to me, I don’t feel like cooking much these days. I know
this great place near the Landing where I live.”

An arrow of jealousy shot through Thane. She was talking about the
Italian restaurant he’d taken her to the first time they’d spent any meaningful
moments together. In reflection, probably the first time he admitted to himself
that he was having a hard time seeing her as just one of his staff. He
intervened. “Actually, there’s a new place in the Gaslamp district, Italian,”
he said sharply. Kayla turned, and gave him a contemplative look. The Landing
was their place, their memory, and he didn’t want her making any new ones with
Lapierre.

His cell buzzed, and he palmed it reading the text.
No fucking way.
His presence required
ASAP at the base. He darted a look at Lapierre. One black slash of eyebrow rose
with triumph. “I’m needed at the base.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll catch up
with you later.”

“Captain?”

Shit, he wished she’d stop calling him that, especially in front of
Lapierre. It put distance between them. He didn’t want that, not any more. He
wanted her. All of her. Asking her to be his girlfriend hadn’t taken the balls
of steel he thought it would. It had been so natural, maybe because in his mind
he’d already decided she was his forever girl. His gaze sunk into her dark eyes,
and kept falling into the endless depth of them.

In that moment he knew, if she went with Lapierre to Hawaii, he’d end
up on a mission and he would come home in a box. His concentration would be
shot, and his reason for coming home would be gone. Snapping back to the
present, he said. “I have to go, Kayla. That was Manchester. He might have
something we can fete out.” He leaned forward, and brushed a slow kiss on her
mouth. With the simple touch of her soft lips, his mind lost focus, his libido
shot through the roof, and he wanted to take her here in front of the other man
who loved her. It was a primal, possessive instinct. He leaned his forehead
against hers, and let out a deep breath. “If you buy a ticket to Hawaii, you
might as well buy two, I’m calling in my marker for my birthday.”

A grin curled her lips. “I thought you did that already.”

“You’re living with Mace, not me, and I want that rectified—soon.”

“I didn’t say yes,” she quipped.

He brushed a kiss across her nose. “You will.” He nipped at her neck.
“Now, have a nice visit with your—ex-brother-in-law.” He turned a dangerous
look at Lapierre, who barely kept his reigns taut, so he kissed her again. “Or
whatever the hell he is.”

Kayla slid her hands around his neck, and stilled him with a
penetrating gaze. “Thank you for understanding.”

He lowered his voice and breathed into her ear. “I’m glad you think
so, tells me I haven’t lost my edge in a cover-up. I’m about as pissed and
jealous as a man can be right now, and you’re staying at my house tonight,” he
added, taking a step out of her arms.