Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
Casey held on to the side of the rubber boat, praying it would move a little faster. She didn’t like that Jacob was using his body as a shield to protect her from the gunfire, but she couldn’t make him move when all she could do was hold on and pray.
Minutes that felt like hours passed. Soon, she could see the outline of a boat ahead. Hope swelled in her chest. They were going to make it.
The skiff slowed and came up to the back of what appeared to be a dive boat. Half the team that had been inside the compound stood on the deck, cheering as the skiff came to a halt. One of the men grabbed the line and tied it to the side of the boat.
A big blond-haired man held out his hand and pulled her aboard.
Jacob scrambled up on his own, wrapped his arm around her and guided her inside. Kalea and Hawk were seated on a bench.
Kalea opened the blanket she was wrapped in. “Come. Sit by me. The Pacific is cold at night, even this far south.”
Casey sat on the bench beside her and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how cold she was until that moment. Her teeth chattered, her head throbbed and she couldn’t seem to get warm.
Jacob sat beside her and slipped his arm around her back. “I suspect you’re going into shock after all you’ve been through. Hold on. We’ll get you back on Oahu as soon as we possibly can.” He scooted closer, sandwiching her between himself and Kalea.
She could feel the movement of the boat beneath her. The gentle rocking motion lulled her into semi-consciousness.
What seemed like only minutes later, Jacob nudged her awake. “We’re back.”
She blinked her eyes open to the lights of a marina.
The Brotherhood Protectors team had stripped out of their wetsuits and wore street clothes. Sometime during the ride back, Jacob had changed into jeans and a T-shirt. The men climbed off the dive boat, laughing and joking as they carried their gear to the vehicles that would transport them back to Reid’s house.
“Hawk, you and Kalea can ride with me,” Jacob said. “I’d like to run all three of you by an urgent care clinic to make sure you’re all okay. I want a doctor to make sure there are no wounds that need stitching or internal injuries that will bite you later.”
“I’m okay, just bruised and maybe a cracked rib. I don’t need to see a doctor,” Hawk said. “But I’m all for the ladies getting a good once-over from a physician.”
His bride frowned. “I’d rather you saw one, too. Can’t have my future husband passing out at the altar before he can say ‘I do’.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I guess I could see a doc to put your mind at ease.”
Kalea sighed. “Thank you.”
They stopped at a twenty-four-hour urgent care clinic where the doctor on duty checked them over, bandaged Casey’s head wound, and pronounced them fit for a wedding—if they took it easy and watched for signs of a concussion.
“I’ll drop you two off at the hotel before I take Casey to her apartment,” Jacob said as they left the urgent care clinic.
“That works.” Hawk took Kalea’s hand in his. “I don’t care how much bad luck it might bring to see you before the wedding. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we’re back on the Big Island.”
Kalea laughed. “Seems like we’ve already lived through the bad luck. It’s about time for some good luck.”
“Agreed,” Casey said.
Jacob slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the parking lot where he’d left his truck. He hit the button to unlock the doors and helped her up into the passenger seat while Hawk and Kalea climbed into the back seat.
Once they were on their way through town toward the hotel, Hawk asked, “How did you find me?”
“It was a team effort between Hank, his computer guy, Swede, Casey’s dogged determination and a hairdresser with attitude.”
“A hairdresser?” Hawk laughed. “I want to hear all about it. Later. Right now, I just want to sleep for eight hours straight.”
“Me, too,” Kalea said. “My father will have gotten to the hotel by now. I don’t think I have the energy to stand up to his inquisition. He’ll have a fit when he finds out what happened.”
Casey glanced at the clock on the dash. “You guys sleep. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Will you?” Kalea asked. “I thought you had my entire day blocked out with wedding preparations I needed to be a part of.”
“I did, but we can adjust.” Casey’s thoughts went through her mental list of tasks to be accomplished. It was a lot, but she could get it done. A few phone calls, and she might even get a couple of hours of sleep herself. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure everything comes together.”
“You’re an angel.” Kalea sat back in Hawk’s arms. “After I sleep, I’ll be ready for anything.”
“Oh, please,” Casey pressed a hand to her chest, “don’t jinx us.”
Kalea laughed. “Sorry. I’ll be ready for the wedding. I don’t suppose Hawk’s tuxedo is salvageable.”
“I have a suitable outfit I can wear,” Hawk said. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be there. Wild horses and drug cartels couldn’t keep me away.”
“I love you, Jace Hawkins,” Kalea whispered in the back seat.
Casey’s heart swelled for the couple. She cast a glance in Jacob’s direction, surprised to see him looking at her.
Heat rose up her neck and filled her cheeks. He couldn’t possibly be thinking the same thing she’d been thinking.
And what would those thoughts be?
That she could see herself telling Jacob that she loved him. It was too soon. They barely knew each other, but in that short amount of time, they’d been through so much. Jacob was a true hero who’d come to her rescue and to Hawk’s and Kalea’s. Yes, he was active duty military like her father had been. Yes, a relationship with him would be foolish and filled with many lonely days and nights.
But when they were together, it would be amazing. She knew that from the one night they’d been together. He was a gentle and thoughtful lover. He wanted to make certain she was as satisfied as he was.
And Casey was strong enough to be on her own. She’d done it for years. Why not give it a shot? Why not give them a chance?
Her heart blossomed with hope.
She was ready for when he’d ask her to go out on a date.
That was…if he would.
Dear Lord. Her heart fluttered against her ribs.
After all the years of telling herself she’d never date or marry a military man, she’d finally let herself move past that personal roadblock. What if Jacob didn’t want more than to date? He understood the downfalls of being in the military. As a Navy SEAL, he knew how often he’d be gone from home. He’d probably watched his buddies marry and divorce often enough to make him gun-shy of long-term relationships.
They dropped Kalea and Hawk at the hotel. Some of Hawk’s team met them at the entrance, promising to position themselves outside Hawk’s room. They would stand guard through the remainder of the night and make sure the bride and groom made it to their wedding.
When they arrived at Casey’s apartment, her stomach knotted, and she couldn’t think of anything to say. What did one say after being rescued from a drug cartel?
He parked in front of her building and got out.
Casey’s fingers fumbled with the seatbelt. By the time she released it, Jacob was holding her door open. He held out his hands to help her down.
She started to put her hands in his, but he bypassed her fingers and reached for her waist. Jacob lifted her out of the seat and let her slide slowly down his body until her feet touched the ground.
She was on fire with need.
The hard contours of his chest felt good against her palms, and her hips pressed against his. Oh, yeah. He was as aware of her as she was of him if the ridge beneath his jeans was anything to go by.
“I’ll walk you up to your apartment,” he said, his voice gruff. Yet, he didn’t seem in too much of a hurry to move.
Casey tried to say something, but she couldn’t push words past the tightness in her throat. She swallowed hard. “Thank you for coming to our rescue.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe you threw yourself at a man with a loaded gun.” He cupped both sides of her cheeks with his palms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt any worse than you were.” He brushed his thumb across the bandage the doctor had applied to her temple at the urgent care clinic. His lips replaced his thumb, and he kissed the bandage.
Casey closed her eyes, leaning into him.
Jacob dragged his lips along her jawline to finally claim her mouth with his.
Opening to him, she met his tongue with the urgency of her own.
The kiss deepened as they stood beside his truck in the apartment complex’s parking lot.
Yeah, Casey could like kissing this man, again and again.
When he raised his head, she followed him upward on tiptoe, until he broke contact.
Casey sank back flat on her feet, her lips tingling from the kiss in the late-night air.
Jacob drew her arm through the crook of his elbow and walked her into her building and up to her apartment.
Casey gasped when she saw the door hanging half-open, the doorframe split where the cartel gang had forced their way inside.
“I’d forgotten about the damage they left,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder, half-expecting to see them returning to finish the job. When she was sure no one was following them, Casey stepped inside her apartment and took stock of the damage.
“It could have been worse,” she admitted. Her tote bag was still where she’d left it on the kitchen counter. She looped it over her shoulder and quickly inventoried the contents.
“It appears they weren’t after things,” Jacob said from the living room.
Casey shivered, joining him in front of the sofa. “Just people.”
Jacob slipped his arm around her and pulled her close. “Let’s lock up the best we can. You can stay with me at the hotel. I still have a room there.”
Casey frowned. “Are you sure? I’m not your responsibility.”
He chuckled and held her closer. “Like Hawk, I don’t want to let you out of my sight for a moment. I was going to stay here if I had to sleep on the couch.”
Her cheeks burned. “You wouldn’t have been sleeping on the couch. And what makes the hotel any safer? That’s where they took Hawk.”
Jacob sighed. “All the more reason to stay at the hotel. I failed him the first time. I won’t let it happen again.”
“You didn’t fail him,” Casey said. “Who knew Camila would send her cousins out to collect him? What woman in her right mind has to kidnap a man to marry her?”
“That’s just it. She’s not in her right mind.” Jacob gave Casey a crooked smile. “I could almost feel sorry for her if she hadn’t caused so much trouble.”
Casey’s lips firmed into a tight line. “I’m not feeling that charitable. I’d like to see her in jail for what she did. Any one of us could have been killed.”
“Yeah, but we weren’t. Look, I have a walkie-talkie set in my truck. We could assign one to Hawk and keep one in our room, in case Camila decides to make another attempt to get her man.”
Casey stared up at Jacob. “Do you think she’ll try again?”
“That woman is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. I wouldn’t put anything past her and her idiot cousins. How they built up an influential cartel is beyond me.” He took Casey’s hand in his. “Come on. There’s not much left of the night, and I know you have a million calls to make first thing in the morning.”
She nodded. “Give me a minute to get some things.” Casey snagged the bulky satchel from the floor by the door and added to it a toiletries kit and a change of clothes. “Ready,” she said and walked with him out of the apartment.
Jacob pieced the doorframe back in place, twisted the lock and pulled the door shut.
“It won’t take much to push it open, but it will at least keep the honest people honest.”
“There’s not much in there that I care about. Everything important to me and my business is in here.” She patted her heavy bag. “You’re right. The sooner we get them married and off on their honeymoon, the better I’ll feel.”
Casey let Jacob help her into his truck, even though she was perfectly capable of getting in on her own. Any chance she could get for him to touch her was fine by her. Everywhere his fingers brushed left her quivering in anticipation of what might happen when they got to his hotel room.
Jacob sped through the streets of Honolulu to the hotel. Yes, he was concerned about his friend Hawk. However, an even more immediate need was getting Casey to his room and naked.
As soon as he came to a halt in the hotel parking lot, he killed the engine and hopped down from his truck.
Casey was already out on the other side, carrying her oversized tote bag. “I texted Kalea. They’re in her room.”
He held out his hand.
She took it, and they entered the building, walking briskly.
Moments later, they nodded at the men standing guard on either side of Kalea’s door and passed the walkie-talkie through the door of Kalea’s room to Hawk. The man was shirtless and eager to close the door as quickly as he opened it.
Jacob grinned, glad the happy pair hadn’t wanted them to stop to share a nightcap and chat.
By the time he and Casey reached his room, Jacob was past ready to be alone with Casey. As soon as they were inside the door, he kicked it closed and slipped the tote bag from her shoulder, surprised at how heavy it was. “You don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to. I could get you a room to yourself,” he said as he gripped the elastic band that held her hair back in its perpetual ponytail.
“Are you trying to get rid of me?” she asked, her fingers bunching in his T-shirt, tugging it loose from the waistband of his jeans. “If you are, tell me now before it’s too late.” She yanked the shirt free. “Oops, sorry. It’s too late.” With a grin, she pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it to the side. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a shower to get the saltwater off my body.”
He pulled her shirt over her head and flung it across the room. “There’s only one shower.”
“Darn. Guess we’ll have to share.” She flicked the button loose on his jeans and carefully tugged the zipper down until his cock sprang free.
Jacob sucked in a breath, his heart pounding against his ribs. “Guess so.” He bent, caught her behind her thighs and lifted her.
Casey wrapped her legs around his waist and bent to cover his mouth with hers.
They kissed all the way into the bathroom, their tongues twisting and darting, as if they couldn’t get enough of each other.
Jacob set her on the floor, turned on the shower and the stripping began in earnest. Moments later, they were naked and standing beneath the spray.
He squirted body wash into his hands and rubbed it across her body, covering every inch with sweet-smelling suds.
After smoothing away the soap, he stopped to tweak the tight little beads of her nipples. Then he took one into his mouth and sucked hard while he pinched the tip of the other, gently.
She moaned and writhed beneath his mouth and fingers.
Flicking and nipping at her nipple, he took all of the rounded globe into his mouth and sucked hard. Then he moved to the other breast, treating it to the same, his hands sliding lower, over her ribs, along the curve of her waist and past the indentation of her belly button.
He paused when he came to the tuft of hair at the apex of her thighs.
She moved to widen her stance, allowing him to part her folds and stroke her there.
Her head tipped back. “Oh, Jacob. Yes.”
He stroked her nubbin of flesh, flicking and teasing her until she raised her leg, wrapping her calf around his thigh.
He slipped a finger into her channel.
She sank a little, urging him deeper.
Slipping in two more fingers, he drove as deep as he could, stretching her entrance.
Casey rested her hands on his shoulders. “Sweet Jesus. I want more.”
He laughed and swirled, and then removed his hand. “I left protection in the other room. If you want more, we have to take it to the mattress.”
“Hell, what are we waiting for?” She squirted soap onto her palms and rubbed them together into a bubbly lather. Then she went to work, touching him all over his body, slowing when her hands curled around his shaft.
He moaned. “Protection?”
“Don’t need it for what I’m about to do.” She leaned back and let the spray rinse the soap from his body. Then she dropped to her knees on the tile and took his cock in her hands.
Water poured down on her, making long snakes of her hair, the rivulets running down her back and sloping off the tips of her breasts. He smoothed his hands over her wet hair and cupped the back of her head.
She took him into her mouth, transferring her hands from his shaft to his backside to bring him all the way in until he bumped against the back of her throat.
Her tongue swirled around him as he backed away until her lips caught on the rim of his cock.
She flicked him and tapped the tiny hole at the end, then she sucked him back into her mouth, her hands going to his hips, setting the pace of his movements in and out. She took him in over and over, water running over her body, making her slick and shiny.
When he couldn’t hold back anymore, he pulled free, drew her to her feet, and kissed her long and hard, the taste of him in her mouth more than he could handle. Then he reached behind her and shut off the water, grabbed a towel, and started drying her body, memorizing every inch as he went. He wanted to know every scar, every birthmark, everything that made Casey so amazing.
She worked another towel to dry him as well. Still damp, he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, laying her on the bed. He dug into the nightstand for the box of condoms he’d put in there earlier that day. The box had been in his truck console on the off chance he found a willing woman at his buddy’s wedding.
And he’d found one. A beautiful woman he was falling for. Hard.
She was everything he could ever want in a partner. Strong, determined and sexy as hell. Not to mention fierce and courageous. She’d handled herself like a seasoned warrior when confronted by the cartel.
His fingers curled around a foil packet, and he held it up. “Success.”
She laughed. “Not until you use it.”
“And we will. After.”
Casey leaned up on one elbow. “After what?”
He stalked her like an animal going after his prey.
Her eyes flashed, and her legs parted as he crawled up on the bed and leaned over her.
“After I make you come apart.”
She stared up at him, her breathing already ragged. “Promises, promises.”
“I keep my promises.” He laid the condom on the pillow beside her and kissed her, thrusting between her teeth and caressing her tongue with his. When he’d taken his fill, he trailed his lips along the firm line of her jaw, down her long, slender neck to the base of her throat where her pulse beat hard and fast.
He paused there, reveling in the thunderous rhythm of her heart. He did that to her. That was the only kind of power he wanted over a woman. The power of sheer desire.
Jacob moved downward to capture each of her nipples, one at time, between his teeth, tempting, teasing and flicking them until she writhed beneath him. Abandoning them, he moved down her torso to his goal.
Parting her folds, he flicked her clit with his thumb, dipped into her channel and dragged her thick juices up to that nubbin of nerve-packed flesh and swirled until she wove her fingers into his hair.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Please what?”
“Please….” she sucked in a breath, “lick me.”
He chuckled and blew a warm stream of air over her heated flesh. Then he touched her there with his tongue.
Her back arched off the mattress. “Yes!”
When he flicked her again, she raised her knees and dug her heels into the mattress, lifting her hips to bring her up to meet his next touch.
His body burned to be inside her, but he wanted her to come before he slaked his own thirst. He tapped, flicked, swirled and licked her there, a relentless onslaught to her senses.
Casey’s body tensed, her muscles tightening. Then she froze, her breath catching and holding. For a long moment, she didn’t move as he continued his campaign.
Then her fingernails dug into his scalp, and her hips rocked in the jerky, unsteady rhythm of someone lost in release.
When she drew in her next breath, she said. “Now. I want you. Inside. Me. Now.” She pulled on his hair, dragging him up her body. She grabbed the condom he’d left on the pillow beside her, tore it open and rolled it down over his engorged staff.
As soon as she’d sheathed him, he positioned himself at her entrance. “Are you sure about this?”
“For the love of—” She gripped his hips and brought him home in one long, swift thrust.
Buried deep inside of her, he held steady for a long moment, allowing her channel to adjust to his girth.
Unwilling to wait another second, Casey guided him, increasing the pace of his thrusts until he moved like a piston, in and out.
Tension built, filling him, pushing him to the edge.
The next thrust sent him shooting toward the stars. He drove deep, his shaft pulsing, his body on fire—a flame that burned so hot it threatened to consume him.
When he finally came back to earth, he collapsed on top of her, took her in his arms and rolled onto his side, taking her with him. He was still buried inside her. If he could, he’d stay right there forever.
“That was amazing,” she said.
Jacob chuckled. “That’s exactly what I was going to say.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, each eyelid and the tip of her nose. “Do you know the only thing that could make it better?”
She cupped his cheeks with her hands. “Nothing could be better.”
He shook his head. “The only thing that would make it better is if you would go out on a date with me.”
Her mouth stretched into a wry smile. “I think that can be arranged.”
“You don’t have a problem dating a military guy?”
She smoothed her hand over his jaw. “I swore I never would.”
“And now?” he asked, holding his breath, almost afraid she’d change her mind.
“Now, I know. I’m strong enough to live on my own. But I can choose to be with someone when he’s there, and be happy even when he’s not, knowing he’ll be back.”
He kissed her lips hard. “You don’t want me to quit the Navy?”
“No way. You are who you are in part due to the Navy and the training you completed. I wouldn’t ask you to give up something you love so much.”
He gathered her close. “Sweetheart, I think I’m in love.”
She laughed. “Isn’t it a little soon to know?”
“I think we’ve lived a lifetime in the past thirty-six hours.”
“No kidding,” she said. “But let’s take it a little slower and get to know each other before we make any rash decisions.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll give you until after the wedding. Then all bets are off.”