Chapter 18
Ashlin realized at that moment that she really didn’t know Clint all that well.
She couldn’t tell whether he was nervous, angry, or upset.
He certainly wasn’t happy because she’d seen him happy, especially in the last two days.
Who the hell was Kimmy? Ashlin had always thought of that name as belonging to a child…
or a stripper. She didn’t know any adult woman who would allow herself to be called Kimmy.
But most of the women she knew were warriors.
Certainly not someone trying to relive her youth.
So, who was this Kimmy? And who almost lost her baby?
Clint’s baby? Was his baby mama the one who was depending on Clint? And who was Theodora?
The more she thought about that name, Theodora, it sounded familiar. Then, as though a cartoon character lightbulb went off above her head, she remembered that Theodora was the widow of his NCO that he’d buried earlier that week in Texas.
Still holding the phone a foot from his head, Clint asked, “Kimmy, what are you talking about?” Irritation evident in his voice.
“You need to be here. You can’t be running all over the world. Theodora and the baby need you here in Texas. Now!”
“Kimmy, Theodora and I have already talked about this. She understands that I am still working, and like her husband used to be sent on missions, I still do.”
Ashlin’s gaze swept the room. Every member of their new team was staring at him.
If she had questioned his loyalty to her, those questions must also be running through their minds.
She needed to show them that everything was all right between her and Clint, and most of all that she supported him.
She stepped next to her husband and put her arm around his waist. He looked down at her and smiled, then kissed her on her forehead.
“Kimmy, if you don’t quit yelling, I’m going to hang up,” Clint warned, but the high-pitched screaming continued. He touched the disconnect button, and the room went silent.
Ashlin snickered, “You warned her.”
“I need to call Theodora. I’ll step out.”
“Don’t bother,” Mia said as she picked up a plate and started to load it with food. “We’re all invested now. We want to hear what—what the fuck’s her name—has to say.”
Clint looked down at Ashlin as though asking for permission. She wanted to know what Theodora had to say, too.
“Just make the call. It’ll be easier than telling everybody later.” Ashlin then went up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Hopefully, that was enough of a message to let him know that she understood his situation.
“Thank you,” he said with a smile then dialed the number. Everyone in the room could hear the phone ring as many followed Mia’s lead and plated up their lunch.
Before Clint could even say hello, the woman on the other end started apologizing. “Clint, I am so sorry. Obviously, my mother called you.”
“Yes, she said you are in the hospital.”
In a controlled, natural tone, Theodora replied, “I am, but I’ve been assured there’s nothing to worry about. The baby is fine. I’m just a little black and blue where the intruder grabbed my biceps and tossed me around a little.”
“Someone tossed you around?” Clint said through clenched teeth.
Everyone in the room stepped closer to him. Several of his men, especially the ones who knew Javier well, came and stood beside him.
“Calm down, Clint,” Theodora urged. “I’m fine. The baby is fine. The intruder is in jail. The EMTs made me come to the hospital because I was spotting…just a little. I’m here purely for observation because of the baby.”
“What the fuck happened?” Clint spat out. Ashlin could see his contained fury. She gave him a little hug of support.
Through the phone, Theodora took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “As you know, the house I bought was a foreclosure.”
“Yes,” Clint agreed. “Both the real estate agent and the bank executive assured us that the locks had already been changed.”
“They were,” Theodora reassured him. “But new locks didn’t keep the recently released convict from breaking a window and crawling through it.”
Ashlin heard several gasps from all over the room.
“No worries, he spent last night in jail. According to the detective who took my statement a few hours ago, he’s a frequent flier there.
Fortunately, as soon as I heard him pounding on the front door and yelling and screaming to let him in, I called the police.
They were much more eager to come when I explained that I had recently purchased and moved into the house and that I was alone and six months pregnant.
Today, the detective said patrols used to get calls from my house quite often, and then the woman wouldn’t press charges.
I assured him that I intended to press every kind of charge possible.
” She took another deep breath before she continued, “Clint, he scared the hell out of me.”
Everyone in the room could hear the tremor in her voice. The Ladies of Black Swan exchanged a glance.
“What can I do to help?” Clint moved as though to start pacing, but sat down and pulled Ashlin onto his lap.
“I obviously need a better security system. Can you recommend one?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can and install the best security system available. I’ll link it directly to the Riggs Corporation monitoring system. We already have several of our homes in the United States connected.”
“Clint, you don’t have to do that. I have money,” Theodora protested. “I can hire someone to install it.”
Clint bent and whispered into Ashlin’s ear, “I’d like to leave right after lunch. I can meet you and the team in Montana on Monday morning.”
Out loud, Ashlin said, “You’re not going to Texas without me.”
“Me, too,” volunteered several of his men.
“Fuck this shit,” Mia said in her usual foul-mouthed way. “I’m going, too. I can help him install it, and we’ll get it done twice as fast. Besides, I’d like to meet this woman.”
Kayla smiled. “Katlin didn’t say we had to leave from Washington on Sunday night. Our orders say we have to report to Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana before dawn on Monday. Nothing says we can’t go to Texas for R and R this weekend.”
“Are you sure?” Clint asked.
All the Ladies laughed.
“It wouldn’t be the first time we made a stop before leaving on a mission,” Kira blurted out. “Last time, we found you and your Delta team in Las Vegas.”
“That was a great wedding,” Piper noted. “But mine is going to be even better.”
“Speaking of yours, when is it going to be?” Ashlin asked, head tilted.
“As soon as we can get ten days off in a row.” Piper put her hands on her hips and stared at Kayla.
“I want a honeymoon after our wedding, and Kenner has promised we’d go diving in Turks and Caicos.
LeiLu has offered us a place to stay and free tanks since she and Henry live in the United States most of the time. ”
Ashlin looked into Clint’s deep sea-blue eyes. “Where do you want to go on our honeymoon?”
“Anywhere except an African safari.”
The men in the room chuckled.
“Yeah. There are still a few warlords on that continent that would like to see us dead,” Dog announced.
“I don’t ever have to go back to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Gordon, “Mick” agreed.
“Or Sierra Leone.” Coyote nodded and crossed his powerful arms over his chest.
“But I’ll gladly go back to Texas for the weekend,” Lukas said, changing the subject back to the original.
“Is everybody in agreement then?” Kayla asked the room.
When nods and mumbles of yes were replied, she announced, “So tonight after dark, we fly to Texas for the weekend. Ashlin, file a flight plan, please. I’ll shoot Katlin a memo right after I finish my lunch, not that she’s going to care.
” Kayla picked up a plate and started to make a salad.
Clint stood behind her in the buffet line and leaned down and whispered into her ear, “I’m so sorry I can’t take you out to the Michelin five-star restaurant that I have reservations at tomorrow night for your birthday. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Ashlin glanced over her shoulder at her husband, “I’m sure San Antonio has excellent restaurants as well.”
He leaned down and pecked her lips with a quick kiss. “I’ll get right on that.”
“You can do that while I file the flight plan.”
As they began to stand after lunch, Kayla announced, “Let’s head home.
Ladies, we’ll figure out who’s flying and needs to sleep this afternoon.
Ashlin, would you please escort the men to the plane this evening?
It will be easier for them to get on base.
I’ll contact Guardian Security and have them pick you all up at the hotel in one vehicle.
I’ll have them send a second for the gear.
We’ll all meet up at the plane. Clint, would you please double-check with Van to be sure he has received our updated weekend plans.
He will need to pick up our little bird at Joint Base Andrews.
He’ll have to meet us at Lackland Air Force Base just outside San Antonio, Texas. ”
Clint snickered, “Not a problem. We left there on Tuesday.”
Ashlin had just closed the door and flipped the security lock to what had been their private haven for the past several nights when Clint pressed his muscular chest against her back, pinning her against the door.
“I’m looking forward to some afternoon delight.” He rocked his hard cock into her back while his hands moved to her breasts from each side. He kissed his way down the side of her neck from her ear to the top of her spine.
She shivered in anticipation.
“I want you right now, right here.” He unbuttoned her blouse with ease, teasing her breasts through her bra.
She caught herself bending and moving her hips side to side, rubbing against his stiff cock.
She wanted to turn around and caress his length through his dress slacks, but she was enjoying the feel of his hands all over her too much.
He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants and pulled them down with her panties.
One-handed, he released himself. He tried to enter her from behind, but he quickly realized she was too short in this position.
He picked her up by the hips and carried her to the couch, bending her over the back, so she was the perfect height for him.
“Hang on, Tiger. I’m not going to last long.” He kissed the small of her back. “But I promise to make it good for you when I’m done.”
Clint didn’t lie. He finished in just a few strokes before collapsing onto her back, panting.
As soon as his breath slowed, he pulled out and picked her up and carried her to the other side, gently laying her on the cushions.
Like him, it didn’t take long before she came to the magic of his fingers.
“I owe you one more.” Clint picked her up off the couch and carried her into bed, where he stripped off the rest of her clothes and her shoes before removing his own. He spent nearly an hour kissing every inch of her body, mapping every curve and line with his fingers and tongue.
“Clint, no more teasing, please.” If he didn’t slide into her right then she was going to pin him to the bed, climb on top of him, and ride him, reverse cowgirl, the way he liked it.
“Whatever you want, wife of mine.” He slid into her and slowly withdrew.
He pushed in so deep she could feel them hit bottom.
Holding there, he extended his arms as though doing a push-up and stared into her face with those gorgeous deep blue eyes.
“I wish I could stay here like this forever, inside you. You surrounding me. We belong together. When I’m deep inside you, like this, I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be. ”
His honesty almost made her want to cry. She felt the same way but didn’t have the right words for it. She couldn’t say them, even if she formulated any words at all, because her throat was so tight. “Me too,” she finally squeaked out.
Relief seemed to wash over his face. He leaned down and gave her a slow kiss.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way.
” He pumped in and out of her, but she couldn’t seem to get there until he reached between them and rubbed the underside of her clit with his thumb.
She flew off the edge and deep into ecstasy.
They spent the afternoon in bed, enjoying the quiet time together, napping in each other’s arms. When room service was finally delivered around eight, they had already dressed for the trip to Texas.
As Clint wheeled the catering cart into the hall, she glanced around the suite.
For the first time since they’d exchanged their vows, she’d felt like a wife in this hotel room.
They’d returned from work each day, changed their clothes, and met friends for drinks and dinner.
Yes, they were coworkers, but they had become more in just a few days.
Then she and Clint would return to their hotel suite and make love several times before dawn.
“I need to make a phone call to Dell and make sure he got everything I wanted and it will be there tomorrow morning,” Clint announced when he walked into the suite.
“I need to check the weather once more before we head to Black Swan.” She had noticed a storm was passing through the Midwest, but thought since they were leaving so late, and they usually fly above storms, they would miss it.
There was a knock at the door. Clint was closer, so he opened it to find Boomer standing nervously in the hall.
“Clint.” Boomer’s gaze drifted to Ashlin. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, but I need to speak to you in private.”