Hot SEALs: SEAL's Ultimate Challenge (11 page)

Reaper insisted on the medics checking her over. She did let them, just to make him shut up. Secretly, she was glad he cared enough to make sure she was all right. Then he slipped his arm around Leigha’s waist and held her against him while the police questioned them both. When everyone cleared out, he walked her to his truck and opened the door.

“I should take my rental car.” She pointed toward the parking lot.

“No,” Reaper said. “Get in.”

She frowned. “Bossy, are we?”

He smiled, holding the door “Please. Will you let me take you home?”

Leigha hesitated. If he took her home, there was only one thing that could happen once they got there. “Clayton’s not a problem now that they have him in custody. I don’t need a bodyguard.”

“I didn’t ask if you wanted a bodyguard. I asked if you’d let me take you home.” His lips twitched. “It’s a
yes
or
no
answer.”

With
no
on the tip of her tongue, she opened her mouth and said, “Okay.”

“Okay, you’ll let me take you home, or okay you want a bodyguard?” He chuckled. “Don’t answer, just get in.”

“By the way…nice truck.” She climbed into the cab and buckled her seatbelt.

Reaper climbed into the driver’s seat, reached across with his left hand to shift into reverse, and backed out of the parking space. He stopped and shifted into drive, reaching across the steering column to manage the gears.

“You can have your steering column fitted with left-hand shift,” she said. This would be the first time she’d been in a vehicle with him and he was doing the driving.

“I like it the way it is.”

“Suit yourself.” She leaned back against the plush leather seat and let the stress of the past couple of hours seep from her body. “By the way, thank you for saving my life. Again.”

He nodded without speaking.

“I asked Eric to reassign you to another therapist.”

That got Reaper’s attention. He straightened and shot her a narrow-eyed glance. “I don’t want another therapist.”

“For that matter, he suggested you were ready to graduate.”

Reaper shook his head. “You promised to work with me until I could do anything a two-armed man could do as good or better. The doc assigned me another three weeks of therapy. You’re not quitting on me now. I still need you.”

And I’m falling in love with you, you big dufus.
Leigha bit down hard on her tongue to keep from saying what was really on her mind. “How’s your fiancée?”
Wow. Did that sound as catty to him as it did to me?

“O’Connell is doing better, and she’s not my fiancée.”

And just like that, hope blossomed through her chest. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the feeling from spreading. “Was it something you said? I can completely imagine you sticking your foot in your mouth.” She turned toward the window, but a reflection caught her attention. The dark lights from the dash made the window a mirror, reflecting her face as well as his. She leaned back and studied his face with a sideways glance.

“We weren’t in love with each other.”

That made her glance at him directly. “I don’t understand. Then why were you engaged?”

“I only
thought
I loved her. Turns out I don’t.”

“So, what was
her
story? Or did she realize she wasn’t the girl for you when you told her you didn’t love her?”

“Worse.” Shaking his head, he smiled. “She felt sorry for me when I lost my arm. She’s in love with my best friend, Tuck.”

“Oh. That hurt.” Leigha sat back, her tongue strangely tied, her heart racing, a hundred questions warring to be asked first, and all of them too direct, too revealing of her own emotions and desires. So she sat like a lump, wanting to ask, but afraid of the answers. Never in her life had she been so filled with so much indecision and angst. The man was making her into a mess.

When they arrived at her apartment complex, she didn’t wait for him to open the door. Instead, she slid out of her seat. “Thanks for the ride. I guess I’ll see you Monday for your next session.”

He dropped to the ground and met her at the front bumper. “Did you forget that you promised to give me therapy sessions after hours?”

“Uh, about that.” Her stomach rolled, and she looked up at him. “I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?” He stepped up to her and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

She moaned. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

“I hope I do.” He winked and tugged her hand, bringing her body up against his. “Otherwise, I’m wasting my best moves.” He bent his head.

But she raised a finger to his lips. “One more question.”

He laughed. “Okay. But only one.”

She drew in a deep breath and released it before asking, “How did you know you didn’t love her?” Leigha dropped her hand to his chest, her heart thumping, her breath caught in her throat.

“Because of the kiss.” He lowered his head and swept his lips across hers. “No sparks.”

Her lips tingled, sending electrical impulses through her system like miniature shockwaves. Her core radiated heat and her sex throbbed.

He abandoned her mouth and kissed a path across her jaw and down the long line of her neck.

She let her head fall back, giving him better access to the pulse pounding at the base of her throat. “And did you find someone who makes you spark?” Sweet Jesus, she was on fire!

“Uh-huh.” He raised his head, his mouth returning to hers, and he kissed her, long, hard, and so thoroughly she was breathless when he let her up for air. “She inspires a veritable array of fireworks.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Maybe.”

“That was a
yes
or
no
question.”

“Then
yes
.” He glanced at her building. “I promised to take you home.”

“And you did.”

“We’re not there yet.”

“Not nearly,” she agreed.

“Then let me fulfill my promise.” He took her hand and led her to her door.

Gaze locked on his, she opened it. Once again, they didn’t make it inside without another mind-blowing kiss in the open doorway. Leigha wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “I’m not completely home until I’m over the threshold.”

He scooped her up in his arm and carried her home.

Chapter Nine

REAPER STOOD IN front of the mirror, adjusting his tie.

“Are you sure this is how you want to do this? You don’t want to have it in a church surrounded by all your buddies from SEAL Team 10?” O’Connell stood behind him in a cream-colored dress, her hair pulled up in a fancy twist that women liked to wear. She looked more like a girl than a seasoned helicopter pilot.

“Humor me, will ya?” Reaper waved his stump of an arm, the surgical scars thick and ragged. “I’ll have the people who mean the most to me here.”

He was nervous, excited and wound up tighter than a top. This was the best day of his life and his friends had made sure he lived to experience it. Not only was today his last day at Bethesda, it was his wedding day.

The only thing that could make this day better was if his best friend arrived in time to stand in as his best man. He’d tried many times to contact Tuck via video chat, text, email and cell phone. Whatever mission he was on, he wasn’t responding.

Reaper gave up and passed his message on to Tuck’s commander, asking him to make sure Tuck got back to the States in time for his wedding. He asked him to tell Tuck that he had a tux with his name waiting. Be there.

Now Reaper stood in the rehab center, surrounded by the doctors, nurses, and other veterans who’d been with him throughout his recovery.

A loud click sounded, and Mendelssohn’s
Wedding March
blared through the speaker system.

“Wait.” Reaper waved with what was left of his right arm, his jacket sleeve pinned to keep it from flapping. “He’s not here yet.” How could he start his wedding without his best man?

“Who’s not here?” O’Connell asked, her eyes narrowing.

“My best man. He promised he’d be here on time.” Having Tuck stand at his side would make his day complete. And if he wasn’t mistaken, the event would make O’Connell’s as well. “His plane landed over an hour ago. He should be here by now.”

The door to the therapy room crashed open, and a tall man dressed in the U.S. Navy service dress blue uniform burst through. “Am I too late?”

Eyes wide, O’Connell pressed a hand to her chest. “Tuck?”

Reaper grinned. His plan was coming together nicely. “Tuck! You made it!” He motioned Tuck forward with his stump. “About damned time. The ceremony’s about to start. Get up here.”

Tuck didn’t move. His gaze fixed on O’Connell. “I wasn’t going to come, but Skipper insisted.”

“Not come to my wedding?” Reaper’s grin broadened. He couldn’t have planned this day better. Not only was he marrying the woman of his dreams, he was getting his two best friends together where they belonged. “You’d skip out on seeing your best bud shackled with an old ball and chain?”

Tuck glared, his lips pulled into a tight line. “She’s not a ball and chain. Any man would be proud to have her as his wife.”

O’Connell, her hand still pressed to her breast, bit her lip, silent tears trickling down her cheeks. “Cory, you didn’t tell me he was coming.”

“I know.” Reaper winked, his chest puffing out. He leaned toward her and whispered, “I wanted to surprise you.” To Tuck, he said, “Are you standing by me, or do I have to ask Schotzy to fill in?”

A large man in scrubs stepped forward. “I’d be happy to.”

“Stand down. Let the man decide first.” Reaper gave Tuck a chance to speak up. “What’s it to be? You’ve been my best friend since BUD/s. I don’t want to do this without you by my side, but I will.”

“I came to stop this wedding.” Shoulders held back, Tuck marched toward Reaper and O’Connell.

The people gathered in the room emitted a collective gasp.

Reaper summoned his best surprised look, fighting the grin pulling at the corners of his lips. “Why would you stop me from marrying the girl I love?”

Tuck’s fists clenched and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Because you can’t marry her.”

Reaper turned from Tuck to O’Connell. “Why? Is she already married, and I didn’t know?”

“No.” Tuck’s jaw tightened.

Reaper bet he could chew nails about now, but he wasn’t cutting his buddy any slack. If he wanted O’Connell, he had to tell her. “She agreed to marry me. I love her.” He waved his left hand. “What more confirmation do I need?”

Tuck’s cheeks flushed a ruddy red and his nostrils flared. “She doesn’t love you.”

“That’s news to me.” Leigha stepped through the waiting crowd, wearing a simple white wedding dress that hugged her petite figure perfectly. She wore her hair loose, hanging down her back like Reaper liked it. He couldn’t wait to get her back to their place and run his hand through its length.

But he had a wedding to attend and a buddy to shake up. And damned if he wasn’t doing a good job of it, based on the way Tuck’s jaw slackened.

“Who’s she?” Tuck asked, jerking his head.

“Uh, Tuck…” O’Connell’s lips twitched, and a smile spread across her face. “You’ve been in dark ops too long. I take it you haven’t talked to Cory in a while, and there’s been a…uh…change of plan.”

He glanced at her, his brows twisted. “I don’t understand. I came to stop you from making the biggest mistake of my life.”

“The biggest mistake of
your
life?” Reaper asked. “And what would that be?”

Taking a deep breath, Tuck faced Reaper. “Marrying Delaney.”

O’Connell stood taller and slipped her arm through Reaper’s. “I happen to think Cory would make a terrific husband.” She nodded toward Leigha standing at the far side of the room, slowly walking toward them with the wedding march still playing. “A terrific husband for Leigha.”

“Who’s Leigha?” Tuck demanded, his gaze shifting between his friends.

Reaper had a really hard time holding back his laughter at his friend’s expense.

“Shh.” Leigha pressed a finger to her lips and picked up the pace, marching up to Tuck. “Please stop yelling. You’re disturbing the patients.”

Reaper’s joy spread across his face. He had the woman he loved at his side. And he would marry her in front of the people he cared most about. “Are we disturbing anyone?”

Everyone in the room shouted. “No!”

“Marry her already!” Jason, a triple amputee in a wheelchair, shouted. “We want to see the kiss.”

Frowning, Tuck faced O’Connell. “I don’t understand.”

She shook her head, still smiling. “Cory’s marrying Leigha, his physical therapist.”

“I came to stop him from marrying
you
.”

Poor Tuck had that deer-in-the-headlights look. “You’re a little late for that.” Reaper finally relented. Tuck had suffered enough. “We broke our engagement shortly after O’Connell arrived at Bethesda. You’d know this fact if you hadn’t gone off all dark ops on us.” He shook his head. “O’Connell doesn’t love me.”

“Yes, I do.” O’Connell chuckled and pecked Reaper’s cheek. “Like a brother. And since he doesn’t have any siblings or relatives, someone had to look out for his well-being.”

O’Connell took a step toward Tuck, but before she could get to him, Leigha stuck out her hand. “I’m Leigha. You must be Tuck.” She grinned. “You’re just like Reaper described you.”

Tuck glared at Reaper. “And when would you have told me you two called it off?”

Reaper shrugged. “I’d have told you sooner, if I’d known you cared.” He glared back at Tuck, still mad at him, even though he was glad to see him, alive and well. “But you seemed hell-bent on volunteering for every suicide mission they could come up with. And you never returned any of my messages. I figured you had some bug up your ass about her.”

“So, you fell in love with Leigha?” Tuck asked.

Reaper smiled. “I did.” He held out his hand.

Leigha joined her hand with his and leaned against him. “I didn’t like him at first. He was very grouchy. Then when we got the pain under control, he turned out to be such a flirt with all the ladies. I had a hard time trusting him.”