Special Ops Exclusive (22 page)

Fighting his amusement, Nick grinned at Rebecca. “Yes, I mean you.” His voice thickened again. “You’re the one. The right woman for me. I was just too blind and stupid to see it.”

“But...” She bit her bottom lip. “What about my job? Nothing’s changed. I’m going to keep covering the stories that intrigue me, even if they’re dangerous.”

“Look around us, Red.” He swept his arm at the handful of guns. “We’re splat in the middle of dangerous, and you’re handling yourself just fine.”

“I always do,” she said gently.

“I know.” He swallowed. “I was a real ass. An overprotective ass. And I was wrong, because you know what? If you hadn’t ignored my orders tonight, Ferguson might have gotten away with everything. And you know what else? I
love
how fearless you are. It’s downright inspiring. And even though it took me a while to figure it out, I also love the way you challenge me.”

He took a breath, suddenly feeling embarrassed about spilling his guts in front of four armed men. But Rebecca’s green eyes were swimming with such joy that he couldn’t stop now. Couldn’t leave her hanging.

“I don’t want to change you,” he said huskily. “Actually, I’m pretty sure that if you weren’t the way you are, I might get bored after a while.”

She studied him warily. “Do you really mean everything you’re saying, or are you just getting caught up in the emotional urgency of the situation?”

“The only thing I’m caught up in is you.”

Oh, brother. He regretted the words before they even left his mouth. Not because he didn’t mean them, but because he now looked like a total sap in front of all these beefy, broad-shouldered Secret Service guys.

And yet when he unintentionally met the eye of one agent, he could swear he saw approval reflecting back at him.

“That was smooth,” Rebecca said frankly. “I think my heart did a little flip. Write that line down, Nicky. You can say it to me every night before we fall asleep. It can be our ‘thing.’”

He laughed. “Deal.”

She opened her mouth like she wanted to say more, but the sound of footsteps cut her off. All heads swiveled to find the secretary of defense striding toward them.

“Lay down your weapons,” Secretary Barrett ordered, looking stunned by the scene he’d stumbled on.

None of the agents obeyed.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Secretary, but we take our orders from the vice president,” one of the guards said, but his voice contained a note of genuine regret.

“Are you telling me that the vice president ordered you to hold two civilians at gunpoint, out in the open where anyone who wanders out of the ballroom could see you?” The secretary sounded livid. “Where is the VP?”

Nick cocked his head to the closed door ten feet away. “In there.”

“He’s watching the news,” Rebecca told Nick’s father. “Seems like all you ever see on the news these days is stories about corruption and cover-ups.”

A knowing gleam entered the secretary’s eyes. “It’s a shame,” he agreed. “But how convenient is it that we are now able to get a news update with the touch of a button?” As if to illustrate that point, Nick’s father held up his cell phone.

The screen was opened to the ABN website.

Nick choked down a laugh.

“I do believe President Howard is boarding Air Force One as we speak,” Secretary Barrett added. He glanced at the guard who’d spoken to him. “I also believe you’ll be receiving new orders from the director of Homeland Security soon.”

As if on cue, the lead agent suddenly touched his earpiece. He furrowed his brow, listened for several long moments, then muttered, “Yes, sir,” before finally ordering the others to stand down.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief as every weapon was lowered and the agents backed away from him and Rebecca.

The redhead immediately launched herself into his arms, and he held her tight, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.

“You okay?” he murmured. “You sure you weren’t hurt at McAvoy’s house?”

“I’m fine.” She kissed his clean-shaven cheek. “By the way, you look incredible in a tux.”

He chuckled, then wet his thumb with his tongue and wiped away the spot of grease on her face. “By the way, there’s one more thing I forgot to say.”

“Which is?”

He brought his mouth to her ear and murmured, “I love you.”

* * *

Rebecca didn’t even get to bask in the sheer awesomeness of Nick’s declaration of love. No, because the second she opened her mouth to order him to say it again—and then ten more times after that—the door that Ferguson had disappeared behind swung open, and the vice president stepped out into the corridor.

He was sandwiched between two agents again, but their posture no longer seemed protective. There was a combative feel to them now, as if they’d been ordered not to let Troy Ferguson out of their sight.

When Rebecca met the vice president’s gray eyes, she didn’t miss the cloud of defeat darkening them.

He knew he was beaten. No more cover-ups, no more hit squads. The second Rebecca had downloaded the contents of that flash drive and pressed Send, she’d known she was signing Ferguson’s walking papers.

It came as no surprise that he didn’t say a word to her or Nick, but he did address Secretary Barrett. “You know I was right to do it, Kirk. He’s too damn lenient. Too damn forgiving.”

Nick’s father released a tired breath. “There were other ways to push our agenda, Troy. If you’d only come to me, sat down in my office for an hour or two, the two of us could have designed a defense plan so rock-solid that Howard wouldn’t have been able to veto it.”

“Hindsight,” the VP murmured ruefully.

The Secretary shook his head in disappointment, but he didn’t have an opportunity for further comment because the Secret Service agents began to lead Ferguson away, most likely on the orders of President Howard himself.

The other guards dispersed, leaving Rebecca alone with the two Barretts.

The senior Barrett cast a pleased smile in her direction. “Good work, Parker. He would have tried to lay the blame on McAvoy’s shoulders if you hadn’t found that evidence.” Now he glanced at his son. “Tell Tate and Stone to come home, Nicholas. They’ll need to be debriefed.”

“Yes, sir.”

The secretary turned back to Rebecca. “I’ll give you two a moment alone. I’m sure my son would like some privacy when he yells at you for leaving the motel, and I’m equally certain you’ll want some privacy yourself when you staunchly defend your actions.”

Laughing, Rebecca waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, we already had that fight, sir. It’s time for the kiss-and-makeup part.”

Nick’s dad chuckled. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

After the older man marched off, she grinned at Nick and said, “Anyway, back to what you were saying before...”

“What was that again?”

“Don’t be a jerk. You know exactly what you said.”

“Ah, you mean the I-love-you part.”

“Yep.” She crossed her arms. “Say it again.”

“Well, aren’t you bossy.” He raised his eyebrows. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember your returning the sentiment.”

She raised her eyebrows right back. “That’s because I’m still not sure if you meant it.”

The wounded look on his face caught her off guard. “Of course I meant it.”

“You really love me?” She narrowed her eyes. “Even though I’m a risk taker?”

He nodded.

“Even though I don’t plan on quitting my job, not now, and not after I have kids?”

Another nod.

“Even though I’ll probably always argue with you about every little thing?”

A nod, this one accompanied by a smile.

“Even though—”

He silenced her with a kiss, and God help her, but she couldn’t muster up any irritation at being interrupted. Instead, she sank into his strong chest and kissed him back. His tongue slid into her mouth, teased her with a few sensual licks, and then he tore his mouth away.

“I love you, Rebecca,” he said softly. “And I wouldn’t change a damn thing about you.”

Warmth exploded in her chest, circling her heart and bringing tears to her eyes. “I love you, too.”

“Finally, she says it. Took you long enough.”

“You deserved to sweat for a bit after your big you’re-not-right-for-me speech.”

Guilt flashed across his face. “I’m sorry about that. I was an idiot.”

“You were, but that’s okay. I forgive you.”

She couldn’t seem to stop smiling, and she knew she must look ridiculously goofy and starry-eyed at the moment. But it was simply impossible to control the sparks of happiness dancing through her body.

“So we’re really going to do this?” she asked, her voice going serious. “We’re going to see where this whole relationship thing leads?”

“No.”

Her mouth fell open. “What do you mean no?”

“Darling, just because I’m willing to amend the qualities I want my perfect woman to have doesn’t mean I’m not a gentleman anymore.” His smile was self-deprecating. “I think I’ll always be that old-fashioned good guy you like to tease me about being. And the good guy in me wants more than an affair from you. He wants to put a ring on your finger.”

“Are you asking me to
marry
you?”

“Would you say no if I did?”

Rebecca pondered that for a moment, wondering why the idea of getting engaged wasn’t freaking her out in the slightest.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be a long engagement,” Nick assured her. “It’ll take me a while to reintegrate into society. After all, I’ve been living in crumbling fortresses and beach shacks this past year.”

The little grin he gave her was so adorable she almost melted into a puddle at his feet. God, she loved this man. She never would have dreamed that she’d fall in love with someone so sweet and respectable—an old-fashioned gentleman, as he apparently liked to refer to himself.

And yet she’d fallen. Hard. And she had no intention of letting Nick Barrett go.

“Okay, fine, but only if I get to pick out the ring,” she said with shrug.

“I propose to you and you respond with ‘Okay, fine’?” He shook his head in dismay. “What am I going to do with you, Red?”

“Lots of things,” she answered cheerfully. “Trust me, we’re going to have a blast together.”

“I don’t doubt it, Sherlock.”

She met his gorgeous eyes, genuinely touched. “Oh, my gosh. Are you officially agreeing to be my sidekick?”

“Well, I’m thinking we can take turns being Sherlock, but we’ll always be partners. How does that sound?”

Still smiling—because she truly couldn’t stop—Rebecca raised herself up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “It sounds effing awesome.”

Epilogue

One Month Later

“A
re you serious? After a year on the run, we're finally able to return to civilization and you choose to live
here?
” Sebastian Stone grumbled. “Jeez, the places we stayed in when we were hiding out weren't half as isolated as this property.”

Captain Robert Tate offered his trademark I-don't-give-a-damn shrug. “Eva and I like living in the country. Deal with it.”

Tate reached into the cooler and pulled out a couple beers. He handed one to Nick, who twisted off the cap and took a sip. “Thanks, Captain. Man, it's hot out today. It wasn't this humid in D.C.”

“Speaking of D.C., is Rebecca planning on covering Ferguson's impeachment proceedings, or will ABN assign someone else?” Sebastian asked, curious.

“She's covering it,” Nick replied. “When her new producer suggested that her personal connection to Ferguson and the scandal might affect her ability to remain objective, she almost bit his head off.”

He couldn't help but chuckle. Rebecca had been covering the scandal since it had broken at the Veterans Gala and Nick knew she'd never give it up now. This was her exclusive, her scoop, and he didn't blame her one bit for clinging so hard. She'd suffered for this, bled for it, lost her friends and coworkers for it.

His gaze drifted across the backyard. Well, not so much a backyard as a stretch of rugged land lined with trees in full bloom, gentle hills and a narrow creek that he could hear gurgling even all the way from the huge cedar deck behind Tate and Eva's enormous North Carolina country house.

Rebecca was sitting on the grassy bank near the creek, swinging her bare feet in the water as she laughed at something Julia Davenport had said. Her red hair shone in the afternoon sunlight, and those green eyes were animated as usual. She and Julia had hit it off from the second they'd met, which didn't really surprise Nick. Julia was as outspoken as Rebecca, and had that same type of sarcastic humor that Rebecca possessed in spades.

The two women had been chatting on the grass for the past hour, and now they were joined by Eva Dolce and her three-year-old son, Rafe, who made a mad dash for the water's edge.

Rebecca caught the toddler around the waist before he could dive headfirst into the water, and the sight caused a rush of warmth to travel through Nick's chest. Did it make him a total softie that he liked seeing a child in Rebecca's arms?

Not that he planned on knocking her up anytime soon. No, children would come in time, way into the future; although if his father had anything to say about it, Rebecca would already be shopping for maternity clothes. Secretary Barrett had a lot on his plate at the moment dealing with the fallout from McAvoy's and Ferguson's actions, but that hadn't stopped him from harassing Nick to make things official with Rebecca. The secretary was absolutely crazy about the woman, and didn't try to hide it.

Nick was pretty crazy about her, too.

“So you two are staying in D.C., then,” Sebastian said. “Did you accept that job at the DoD yet?”

“No, I'm still considering it.” Nick knew he'd end up taking the gig, though. Returning to the military held no appeal for him anymore.

He glanced at Tate. “What are you up to these days? Are you and Eva still planning on becoming carpenters?”

Tate rolled his eyes. “Get it straight, Nicky. Eva is planning on designing security software.
I
might dabble in some carpentry. Tomorrow morning I'm going to build a chair.”

Sebastian snickered.

Nick snorted.

Their former commanding officer glared at them and flashed both his middle fingers. “Eff right off.”

“Wait, are you fake-swearing, too, now?” Nick demanded.

Resignation washed over Tate's moss-green eyes. “That's what happens when you live with a three-year-old.”

Nick sighed. “I live with a twenty-seven-year-old. I shouldn't have to censor my language, but that infuriating woman insists on it.”

“You two are already living together?” Sebastian said in surprise.

“Yeah, I moved into Rebecca's place in Arlington.” He rolled his eyes. “And don't give me that look, Seb. You and Julia have been joined at the hip for months.”

Tate glanced at the sandy-haired man. “You still heading to Africa at the end of the month?”

Sebastian nodded, and his gray eyes softened as he glanced across the yard at Julia. “The doc's got a new post, a six-month stint in a village in northern Somalia. I'm tagging along.”

Nick couldn't help but feel amazed that they were standing around discussing their plans. They'd been living day-by-day this past year, trying to figure out why their unit had been targeted, and now this frustrating ordeal was finally behind them.

And somehow, during that year of hiding, all three had managed to find women who loved them.

Figure that one out.

Nick's gaze drifted to Rebecca again. At that exact moment, she turned her head and caught him staring, and the smile she gave him was so beautiful, so full of joy and mischief that his heart damn near soared right out of his chest.

He smiled back, then focused on the two men he considered his best friends. No, his brothers.

Sebastian raised his beer bottle in the air. “Here's to not having to look over our shoulders anymore.”

After the three of them clinked their bottles, Tate's gaze shifted to the raven-haired woman by the creek and he let out a soft laugh. “We made out all right, huh?” he said wryly.

“Yup,” Sebastian concurred, his gray eyes focusing on Julia, whose long brown braid rustled in the afternoon breeze.

Nick's eyes found their way back to the redhead who'd bulldozed her way into his life. “We made out just fine,” he agreed.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
Cowboy with a Cause
by Carla Cassidy.