Operation Heartbeat (SEAL Team Blackout Charlie #1)

EPILOGUE

Con never viewed any one place as a home base. He’d been stationed all around the world and fought in the farthest corners of almost every continent. But when he and the team, along with Sophie, rolled up to the expansive home down the Jersey shore, it felt shockingly like a homecoming.

Reaching over, he took Sophie’s hand. She looked at him, a soft smile gracing her full lips, and squeezed his hand.

Having her back on US soil sent a ripple of relief through him. But he knew it would only last until she finished working on those cryptograms. Even though they’d declared their love for each other, no plans were made. At the rate she could decipher those puzzles, he had weeks with her. A month, tops.

Then she’d return to Princeton, and he would go wherever he was sent.

The guys piled out of the two SUVs that had been waiting for them at the airstrip. He climbed out more slowly, reluctant to begin this chapter of his time with Sophie. The final chapter.

Yeah, he loved her. He wanted to spend his fucking life with her. He just couldn’t see how to make things work. Long-distance relationships never panned out. He knew plenty of military men who attempted it and failed. His life was even more difficult. Hell, according to every record the government had on file, he wasn’t even alive.

He reached through the door for Sophie’s hand. She slipped hers into his. The clasp of her smooth, cool fingers shouldn’t make a hard man like him feel so out of his element, but it did.

She planted her boots on the paved driveway and turned to face the mansion. “God, it’s good to see this place. Don’t you agree?”

Why was his chest suddenly tight?

“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in.”

He had no idea what he even meant by that. He could get her settled in one of the spare rooms with a computer system and a cot for her to sleep on. He could settle her in his room, but question was, who got the top bunk?

He could settle her on his cock.

At the thought, his dick started to swell behind his fly. Not the time, he told it. A lot of good it did trying to reprimand his own body reacting to thoughts of slipping between Sophie’s soft thighs and driving into her sweet, tight pussy.

If he didn’t halt this train of thinking now, he’d end up putting her back in that SUV and driving them to the nearest motel so he could make her scream his name without his men overhearing.

By the time they walked in, one of the guys had music blasting in the kitchen as they got busy fixing a meal. Everyone else seemed to vanish to their respective quarters to kick back after the op.

Con was never out of his element, but right now, he didn’t know up from down. He only wanted Sophie.

He stopped in the middle of the grand foyer. Surrounded by ornate moldings decorating the walls and running along the top of the high ceiling, Sophie didn’t even look out of place.

She smiled up at him. The cuts and bruises on her face seemed softened in the light of the chandelier that some designer had probably chosen for the sole purpose of making the woman of the house look good.

“Show me to your room?”

He gave her a jerky nod and strode to the expansive staircase leading to the second level where he slept. He didn’t dare touch her. If he felt her skin, he couldn’t promise that they’d end up in bed together. Ever since he confessed that he loved her, his body wanted nothing more than to seal that declaration by joining with hers, and making her cry out on orgasm after orgasm.

He should try to distance himself from her, but damn if he could. He took her hand and led the way to his quarters. As he pushed open the door and faced the stark space, he sighed.

“After our luxury hotel room, this place is depressing as hell.”

With her fingers still meshed with his, she looked around. One window, a door, four walls, a set of military-issue bunk beds and a footlocker against one wall.

From outside came the rumble of an engine. He released her hand to look at what was going on. Two of the guys got into the SUV and drove away.

“They must be going for supplies,” he commented.

She came to stand next to him, staring out at the grounds below. Walkways connected a covered patio to a fountain nestled in the center of flowerbeds that overflowed with blooms in the summertime.

“Sophie.”

She pivoted to face him. “Before you say anything, I need to say what’s on my mind.”

Oh god. This was where they decided they should go their separate ways. That their lives were far too different. Hell, they might as well live on different planets.

He swallowed against the dry lump in his throat and had to try twice to force it down enough to speak. “I’m listening.”

“I’ve made a decision.” Her deep brown eyes rested on his. No sign of worry or pain filled the depths, which had him wondering just what this decision could be.

“About?”

“Your job offer.” She inched a step closer, bringing her lush curves closer too.

“No, no. That’s off the table. I can’t have you placed in danger like that ever again.”

“No. You need me. Charlie needs me.”

“We’ll find someone else.”

She went on tiptoe, looping her arms around his neck and leaning into him. Her soft breasts pressed into his chest and ignited the passion that was never far away when she was near.

“You need me, Ryan. You never could have gotten this far without me.”

“We still don’t have eyes on that shipment.”

“We know it’s going to Missouri, but we don’t know where it is currently. The bomb squad’s already on standby at the base.”

“How do you know?”

She gave him a small smile. “I heard you order it yourself when you talked to Commander Barrett.”

Damn. Did she have to be so sharp? So beautiful?

So…perfect.

“I’m officially accepting the job. I start tomorrow.”

He started to protest, but her last sentence brought him up short. He stared down at her, brows pinched. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes. Because we’re going to spend tonight in each other’s arms. In bed.”

He darted a look at the bunks. “That bed?”

She followed his line of sight and let out an adorable laugh. “There’s going to be some changes around here. This entire mansion could use a woman’s touch. Especially since I’ll be moving in.”

Heat flared in his chest. “Since when?”

“Since now. The guys just left with the key to my house. They’re going to get some of my things and bring them back here.”

He gaped at her. “When did you start giving my men orders?”

She shrugged. When she skimmed her knuckles over his jaw, that look of desire burning in her eyes, he would take any order she gave him.

Rubbing her breasts against his chest, she leaned closer. “I want you, Ryan. I want you between my thighs. Pounding your cock in me. I want you filling my—”

He slammed his mouth over hers, taking control of the kiss and leading her to the bottom bunk that would never be enough space to have her the way he wanted, but damn if he wasn’t going to make it work tonight.

As he ran his hand under her top, skating his fingertips over her warm, silky skin, he took control of her body too.

Even though the woman had him wrapped around her little finger.

She let out a soft moan, and he fed her one in return as she tugged at his clothes and he stripped off hers. At the moment when he slid his hard cock inside her, their gazes locked.

“You are mine now, Professor.”

“I love being yours…SEAL.”

He shoved his cock deep.

She let out a cry, arching to take his every inch. Their mouths fused in a lingering and passionate kiss.

At the end, it was Con who cried out her name. And he didn’t give a damn who heard.