Chapter Seven
A ddison’s stomach twisted, heavy with guilt as she walked through the corridor of the barracks. When she’d joined this research organization, she’d known there was a slim possibility of getting called to aid the government as a civilian contractor. What she didn’t foresee was getting assigned to her brother’s SEAL team. Fear for her safety had made Julian lash out, but that didn’t lessen the blow when he voiced his concern that she wasn’t qualified. Then there was Archer. After what he’d been through losing Quinn, he should be furious, and yet, he’d faced down his whole team and voiced his approval for her joining the mission.
If she had known the extent of the mission she and Wyatt were getting called to help with, she never would’ve asked Archer to be brave for her. Her stomach flipped. Oh God, did he think she knew they were coming here all along? That she’d asked him those things at her house as some kind of sick bargaining chip to agree to have her on the mission? He must hate her right now.
After the meeting, they’d been shown to a sitting area where they could rest until it was time to leave, but she’d excused herself to use the bathroom and turned in the opposite direction. Branch had told her the room where Silver was changing out of his wet clothes, and she needed to speak with him alone. She wet her lips and knocked softly on the door at the end of the hall. She’d only walked a short distance but found herself breathless. The door opened a crack and Addison caught a sliver of bare chest. A white towel hung low around Silver’s hips, revealing the hard muscles he kept hidden beneath his shirt. Tattoos covered the left side of his chest, traveling from his shoulder to wrist. She wanted to study the beautiful artwork that covered him. If she was breathless before, now she was devoid of oxygen. Her skin tingled everywhere.
“Addy.” The way her name rolled off his tongue sent a flash of heat straight to her core. “Come in.” He opened the door wider and ushered her into the small space. “Let me change, then we can talk.” He turned his back toward her, shoulders impossibly broad and sculpted.
Several scars marred his beautiful skin. She wanted to know where he’d gotten each one. If they still hurt him. Warmth rushed to her cheeks, and he took a fistful of clothing into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
The way he followed her the other night through the woods to ensure she was all right, then stood up for her today made her feel cared for. She’d made a mistake in believing he didn’t want her, didn’t think she was capable of being safe on her own. Archer was trying to be noble, part of what drew her to him in the first place. He was a good man, like her brother and father.
The door to the bathroom opened and Silver stepped out, looking no less appealing than when he’d gone in. Only an hour ago his lips were on hers, setting her on fire. She’d seen the fear she inflicted in the fathomless depths of his dark blue eyes when he’d seen her in the conference room, yet he’d still gone to bat for her.
“I’m so sorry, Archer. I swear I didn’t know that this was the assignment. I never would’ve asked you to accept the things you can’t protect me from. I feel like I’ve put you in an impossible situation—”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Addy. I realize you’ll be vital to the success of the mission.”
She took a step, unable to stop the forward trajectory of her feet. He sucked in a breath when her hands landed on his chest.
“I didn’t say you were capable in that meeting to get closer to you.” He searched her face, eyes dropping to her lips before coming back to meet her gaze.
A thrill spiraled through her. Just being close to this man muddled her senses, made all of her nerve endings spark to life when he was within arm’s reach.
“I know that.” She moved one hand up his chest and neck, caressing the stubble on the underside of his hard jaw with her thumb.
His eyes darkened, pupils eclipsing his irises. “Addy,” he growled. He had yet to touch her, and wet warmth was pooling at the apex of her thighs. Her skin was impossibly tight, and every sensitive part of her ached to have his body over hers. “I want to do this right.”
“Please kiss me, Archer.” She leaned in, going up on her toes.
“How could I deny you anything?” He lowered his head, pressing his lips against hers, lingering there for a heartbeat before drawing back. A strangled cry tore through the space. It took her a moment to realize the sound had come from her. Much like she’d done in the clearing the other night, she gripped his shirt, trying to get closer.
In one fluid movement, he lifted her into his arms, and her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He took a step forward, then another until the wall pressed up against her back. She was deliciously pinned in place. Their breathing had escalated, despite the brevity of the kiss before. “Sweet Addy.” The tenderness in his expression, combined with the fire licking over her skin, was too much and not enough. His mouth crashed against hers and they both groaned. His hands cupped her bottom, effortlessly holding her in place as he angled his head to get closer. His tongue slid over hers. He tasted like mint and unspoken promises she desperately wanted to voice. Heat radiated from his large frame and the hard length of his erection pressed against her core. She sucked at his bottom lip and felt him tremble.
He gasped, “I am so undone by you,” before capturing her mouth again. They were in a place where time ceased to exist. Only Archer, her, and the firestorm brewing between them were present. It could’ve been mere moments or hours, but it wasn’t enough.
He moved back, looking down at her. His lips were rosy and swollen from kissing. It looked so good on him that she was desperate to dive back into the fray.
“I’m going to protect you out there, but I hope you know there is no one I’d rather have at my side protecting me in turn.” The sincerity in his words touched a vulnerable place inside her heart. A place where she kept memories of the fading taillights of her mother’s car and the stark disbelief that swiftly followed. The realization that the person who should’ve loved her most didn’t value her enough to stay. Now Archer, whose eyes were soft with affection while his voice was hard with conviction, was telling her he’d not only protect her, but thought of her as an equal. Someone who he’d trust to have his back. It was more than she’d ever hoped.
“So brave.” She tried to mask all the emotion tightening her throat. “And when we get home?”
“We won’t leave my bed for at least a week.” The low grit of his voice sent a shiver of promise racing through her. “If that’s what you want,” he added, suddenly looking unsure. Her tough SEAL was used to being in control, demanding what needed to be done, but the way he looked to her for reassurance was incredibly endearing. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. The sweet gesture felt right, so she did the same to his forehead and the side of his cheek.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I want you, Archer. Just know that a week is not nearly enough time, so you’re going to have to clear your schedule,” she murmured against his skin. His cheek arched as he smiled against her. “I’ve dreamed about having you this close so many times.”
Archer groaned and buried his face against the sensitive skin of her neck. Another tremble. Another snap of electricity flowing between them. “Me, too. Even when I shouldn’t have, I did.”
“There is nothing wrong with us being together. It’s something Julian will have to accept. When we get back, I’ll talk to him about it. You’re not only his teammate, but one of his best friends, too. Julian wouldn’t hang around someone he didn’t love and respect, and I’d never keep something like this from him. He’ll probably see us being together as a good thing once he understands.”
“He already knows, and I’m still breathing. That’s as good as having his blessing.”
A hard knock on the door had him putting her down. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head before going to answer the door.
“We leave in ten.” Ransom’s voice was audible from the hall.
“We’ll be there in a minute.” Archer shut the door and walked back to her. “Anything you need when we’re out there, let me know.”
“I’ve never done anything like this before, and I won’t pretend I’m not nervous. I know those rivers well, though, just like I know you’ll keep me safe.” There were so many things she wanted to learn about him, so many things to discuss. A few more hours in this room with him would be bliss, but she couldn’t forget the mission ahead. She’d meant every word she’d told her brother. The indigenous people of the Javari Valley had suffered greatly over the years. They deserved to preserve their way of life without outside interference.
“Are you ready to go?” He brushed the tips of his fingers over her cheeks.
How could such giant, rough hands be so gentle? “I’m ready,” she said.
Wordlessly, he held his hand in front of her, palm up. She laced her fingers with his and they started down the hall, back toward the sitting area where she’d left Wyatt and the others. “My only concern is there won’t be enough room on the plane,” she whispered with a smile.
A line formed between his brows. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know if there will be space for Wyatt and his ego.” She grinned at him and was rewarded with a soft chuff of laughter.
Archer opened the door to the room and gestured for her to enter first.
“Where have you been?” Wyatt asked, glancing up from his cell phone. She didn’t know why he cared how long she spent out of the room, but she felt Archer’s body go taut at Wyatt’s tone.
“I was headed to the bathroom, and I ran into Archer.” She lifted her chin. More than once she’d had to remind him she was his partner in certain areas, not his subordinate.
“Archer?” He raised one brow and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I thought it was Silver.”
“Silver is a nickname.” Archer’s voice was flat, and he took a step closer to her, so their bodies nearly brushed.
The sudden weight of Silver’s hand on her shoulder had warmth seeping into her skin. Wyatt narrowed his eyes. “You’re here as a representative of our research organization. We need to stay together.”
“Well, next time nature calls,” Addy said, suppressing a smile, “I’ll be sure to include you on my jaunt to the bathroom.”
Archer’s chest bumped against her back in a silent laugh. Her lips quirked, then she schooled her expression.
Branch was staring at them intently, an amused look on his face. There was another man sitting next to Ransom who she didn’t recognize. The three men stood from the couch and crossed the room.
“Silver, Addison, this is Sully. He was my teammate before…” Ransom glanced away, and without another word, she knew he was referencing the team he’d had before joining her brother, Silver, and Branch. One struck by tragedy that had cost a young SEAL his life and their friend Iron his leg and a piece of his soul.
“It’s so nice to meet you.” Addison stripped away the awkward moment and extended her hand. The man who towered over her held her palm gently, as though he was afraid she might crack.
“A pleasure to meet you, as well.” He stepped closer and leaned in. “More so than that guy,” he whispered in her ear.
Wyatt was certainly an expert in their field of research. The problem was he never stopped touting his own success. It was often difficult to work alongside him because he believed his opinion was superior to everyone else’s.
“An acquired taste, I’m sure.”
When Sully laughed it came from deep in his chest, his shoulders shaking with the movement. “Not for me, beautiful.”
She stiffened when Archer’s arm came around her waist, then relaxed into him. She loved the slight possessiveness in the way he gripped her hip, but only because of the bone-deep knowledge he would never hurt her.
Sully took a step back. “Good for you, man.”
For a moment, it seemed like every eye in the room was pinned on the two of them, and the meaning behind the way Archer pulled her against him.
She angled her head to glance up at Archer, as some silent communication passed between the SEALs.
“Addison, there are things we need to review.” Wyatt’s voice was tight with impatience.
“From now on, any insight shared between the two of you needs to be communicated to us, as well. For this mission, we are a team.” Ransom leveled his gaze at Wyatt. She wasn’t sure what line Wyatt had crossed, but Ransom’s posturing spoke to some kind of tension.
“Helo is fueled and ready,” the commander said from the doorway. The men grabbed their packs, and she followed them out to the tarmac. Rain was still coming down hard, and the whir of blades slicing through the air blocked out everything else. Ransom, Wyatt, Sully, and Branch climbed on board ahead of them, while Archer held her hand and helped her up into the aircraft. When she was seated, he handed her a pair of headphones. With the noise suddenly blocked out, she felt calmer. She linked her arm with Archer and rested her head on his shoulder. The skids of the helicopter left the ground, making her stomach jump with a weightless sensation.
They were transported to the Naval Air Station Oceana where they boarded an even larger aircraft. Once they were in the air again, the white noise cycling through her brain made her yawn. Feeling more content than she had in a very long time, she closed her eyes and slept.