Chain of Command (14 page)

“Oh, dude. I get it. She is smoking hot.”

Sawyer had figured that out within three seconds of meeting her. “You came here to tell me that?”

“I wanted to rub it in about the bra. That you, the in-control guy who never flinches, left a woman’s underwear in the family room.” Jason’s smile faded. “It is hers and not yours, right?”

“You’re hysterical.”

Jason glanced around then lowered his voice. “So, yes?”

“Fuck you.” That seemed like the right answer, so Sawyer went with it.

“I’ll assume hers then.”

“And technically, I’m not the one who left it.”

“You want to debate that point?” Jason asked.

Sawyer wanted the topic to end. “No.”

“Good because I want to ask you something completely unrelated.” Jason played with the mug.

Sawyer seriously considered taking the thing. He might have if he didn’t have a death grip on the bag. “Go ahead.”

Jason managed to make the act of putting down his coffee mug take what felt like five minutes. “Has Molly said anything to you?”

Talk about a conversation zag. Sawyer had no idea where this was going. “About?”

“She’s ticked off at me.”

The way Sawyer saw it Jason should have added “still” or “again” to the end of that sentence. “That is not new.”

“I’m tired of it.”

Sawyer tried to think of someone who wasn’t. “Then stop ticking her off.”

“It’s not that easy.”

No way was he wading into the middle of a battle between Molly and Jason. That was a fight he could not win and a mess he could not solve. There was just no way to choose sides and have his life ever be the same again. Both struggled with stuff Sawyer wanted to ignore. Emotions and loads of baggage. He needed all of his energy to get through his business troubles and be on his game with Hailey.

Still, Sawyer wasn’t really the type to let things drop and it wasn’t as if he didn’t care. He just wasn’t convinced whatever kept pinging around between those two could be solved in a way that wouldn’t make him crazy. “Did something happen?”

“Here you go.” Hailey came out balancing three plates in her hands. She dropped one with croissants, another with doughnuts and a third one with a mound of something topped with glaze in front of Sawyer then turned to Jason. “You want to order some food?”

“I like you.” Jason reached over and took the glazed one.

“Me or any woman bearing food?” She lifted an eyebrow but her voice never moved off sounding amused.

Jason frowned. “I’m going to decline to answer that.”

“Smart man.” She broke off a corner of one of the croissants before looking from one man to the other. “Did I interrupt something?”

Sawyer had trouble looking away from her. She practically beamed, as if she were lit from inside. He’d never dealt with a woman who could throw out a smartass comment one second and wow him the next, with both sides blinding him with hotness.

But he forced his mind back to his friend and the trainwreck he called a personal life. “Jason was letting me know my sister Molly is angry with him.”

“Huh.” She looked at Jason, as if sizing him up. “Did you do something to deserve it? If so, I side with Molly.”

“Wait a second.” Sawyer joined Hailey in staring at Jason. “What
did
you do?”

“Said something stupid.” Jason stared at the glazed thing without looking up.

“Men.” Hailey shook her head.

“We’re total jackasses,” Sawyer said.

Jason’s head shot up. “Are you two done?”

“I think I made my point.” Hailey glanced down at the crumbs on one of the plates. “I’ll be back with more food.”

Sawyer knew he should focus on Jason but watching Hailey walk, the sway of those hips and that tight ass, intrigued him more than the inevitable shitstorm he was about to get from Jason about the bra or his sister or whatever.

When she disappeared into the kitchen and the door shut behind her Sawyer let out the breath he was holding. Decided it probably wouldn’t be a great idea to ask her to come out just so he could see her walk away again. That likely counted as a dick move, no matter how tempting it might be.

Jason cleared his throat. “You still separating business and personal?”

While they were asking questions... “You still keeping your hands off my sister and refraining from adding her to your list of conquests?”

“Yes.”

The slight hesitation before the answer made Sawyer twitchy but he knew if Jason said it, he meant it. “Smart.”

“Right.” Jason picked at a gob of glaze on the edge of one of the plates.

None of his actions matched the carefree guy Sawyer knew. The impending divorce had knocked his friend on his ass. Had him spinning and making bad choices. Sawyer didn’t know what was going on in the guy’s head but he was starting to worry. “What’s wrong with you?”

Jason shook his head. “Women are a complete pain.”

Sawyer wasn’t sure if that was a general statement or one directed at Molly. His mind went to the woman in the kitchen and the night before. About how he couldn’t get her out of his head and thought about her even when she stood a few feet away. “They do tend to mess up our priorities.”

“Understatement.”

Chapter Fourteen

“I was hoping you had something else in mind when you said we were going for a walk.” The next day Hailey crouched down next to Sawyer and watched him stare at the fence. Somehow he made even that seem sexy.

“Safety first.” He studied and touched. At one point he took out his phone and took a photo.

“That’s not as sexy as you think it is.” But it was sexier than it should have been. He slipped into protector mode and her insides turned mushy.

With him everything changed. Those things about men that made her nervous in others filled her with security when it came to him. He might be the danger-seeking type but he didn’t give off that vibe. He was—and he would probably hate her saying it—a decent guy. Hot, sexy, good with his hands and rock solid.

She tried to find a fault other than the obvious bossiness issue and tendency to take over and came up empty. His determination to start a business and build something with his friends played against every stereotype she dreamed up in her head as an excuse not to get involved with another military man. But the more time she spent with him, the more friends she met¸ the more she realized her rules were about fear.
Her
fear. Her need for self-preservation.

She’d come up with a list of characteristics, the same ones she found so intoxicating and decided they meant danger so she’d never risk getting involved. Looked like she was the one with the commitment issue, not him. But that didn’t solve the property issue and it lingered. He didn’t mention the business, but she knew it had to be on his mind. He was in a holding pattern thanks to her.

Before she could figure out a way to talk about the property or how to move past it, other solutions he could look at, he stood up. Tucking his cell back in his pocket, he turned and faced her. Gave her the full Sawyer Cain treatment. Her knees almost buckled.

His eye narrowed. “Did you just tell me I’m not sexy?” The expression said he was serious but amusement threaded through his voice.

She loved this side of him. “I would never say that.”

“Because that sounded like a challenge.” He closed in, not touching her but not needing to for her body to respond. “Like, maybe I’ve been letting you come too fast. Maybe you need me to draw it out.”

She thought about how he made her body shake and her breath stutter. “You’ll give me a heart attack.”

“I’ll keep you safe.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You should show me.”

He whistled. “You are so fucking tempting.”

“Good.” No one had ever made her feel like this. She’d dated, been swept off her feet. She’d been in love and had great sex. But with him she felt free. All of those old insecurities and worries started to drop away.

After growing more protective of herself year after year, she wanted to break free. To take a chance. He did that. With him she felt powerful and sexy.

For him she wanted to resolve the property. Give him closure, even as she worried it would be a blow that could drive them apart. “Sawyer, we need¾“

“But we can’t now.” He dropped a quick kiss on her mouth but didn’t go deeper.

That stopped her. “Why?”

“We have gun practice on the schedule today.”

He’d been talking about that since Kat spilled her secrets at The Bakery. Hailey figured she couldn’t ignore the inevitable one more second. “Sweet talker.”

“Wait until you see what I can do with my weapon.”

Laughter bubbled up inside her before she could stop it. “Wow.”

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Still think I’m not sexy?”

“You do not need to worry about that.”

* * *

Despite the complaining on the drive over, Hailey was pretty sure she could stand like this all damn day or at least for a few hours. Feet apart. Sawyer at her back with his arms wrapped around her and the warm San Diego sun hitting her face. She didn’t even mind the protective headphones they both wore, especially since he managed to look pretty fine in them.

They were outside in a part of the county miles north of her property in an area dotted with gravel and rocks and hills. Everywhere she looked she saw wide open space even though they stood only a few miles from a residential area on reservation land.

The gun range sat in a valley. In front of her rows of targets spanned hundreds of feet moving up an incline. There was nothing fancy about the outpost. A covered seating area on top of a rectangle concrete pad with chairs and tables stretched behind them. A locked door at one end led to a small room of something, but she had no idea what.

They’d pulled in and Sawyer took out a case. When he opened it she spied guns and ammunition, all in specific sections. He clearly was no amateur at this. Then again, neither was she.

“Do not put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to shoot,” he said with his cheek right next to hers.

She thought about rolling her eyes but the gesture would be lost with him standing half behind her. “Obviously.”

“It’s not.” His hand skimmed hers as he adjusted her grip. “People have seen too many cop shows and now think you stand holding the weapon a certain way and just depend on the safety to keep from blowing your hands off.”

“A safety is not a bad thing.” Not that the Glock had an external safety and not that she needed one.

“It’s also unnecessary if you know how to handle a gun the right way. Think of the trigger as the safety and keep your finger off it until you’re ready to fire.” He adjusted her hand again but at least he didn’t launch into a second round about the gun’s other safety features. “Put it here.”

“Right.” She thought about leaning into him. His front already pressed against her back. She could feel every inch of his muscled chest. She fought off a shiver when his warm breath moved along the back of her neck.

He pivoted coming around to her side but his arms stayed locked around her. “You want to try shooting? We can go for the first row. The targets are eight feet away.”

He’d run through safety tips and described each part of the gun. Next came lessons on sighting and stance. It looked like they were finally ready to actually fire. She wasn’t sure if she should be happy or sad to lose the husky sound of his voice as he talked about a subject he could explain without thinking. “Depends, are you going to stop touching me?”

He froze for a second then his arms dropped. “I plan to touch you all night, everywhere, but around guns we stay focused.”

A logical response and the right one. You didn’t play with weapons. She knew that. But he was so damn adorable being all teacherlike in his jeans and short-sleeve T-shirt. He handled the entire explanation with precision, staying calm and being clear. She could see the marine running through every inch of him. The way he held his body. The utter confidence that his every direction would be followed.

Made her think maybe she gave up on military men too fast. “Yes, sir.”

“That’s better.”

“I thought you might like that.”

“Too much.” His attention strayed for a second as a truck pulled up and stones crunched under the tires in the gravel parking lot. Then it was back on her. “I’ll show you how much once I get these clothes off you again.”

She’d count down the minutes until that happened. “You know I am all about pleasing you.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “You have so far. I am very pleased.”

“Smartass.”

“He’s been called worse,” one man said as he stepped up behind them with another guy at his side.

Sawyer’s mouth broke into a full smile. “Hailey, this is Marcus, Jason’s brother.”

Marcus nodded as he shook her hand. “The older and better one.”

She saw the resemblance, only Marcus was a bit taller and trimmer. He had dark, almost black hair and chiseled features. Very handsome in a clean-cut American boy kind of way. He possessed more of a runner’s body though the biceps peeking out from under his tee suggested he could lift her, her house and her car all at the same time.

But she liked his face. There was something less road weary in his eyes than in his brother’s. Sawyer told her about Jason’s marriage implosion and tendency to play the role of the clown of the group. Sawyer tagged Marcus as more serious. Right now she couldn’t see the distinction, but why not play along. “Clearly.”

“I like her already.” Marcus winked then put a hand on the other man’s arm. “And this is Will.”

She half expected to hear he was someone’s cousin or...no, wait. The vibe between Will and Marcus definitely did not say cousin. “Are you related to someone around here?”

“In San Diego?” He shrugged. “My parents and two sisters.”

“Speaking of smartass,” Marcus mumbled under his breath.

“Will is still in the navy. Marcus just got out,” Sawyer said, pointing from one man to the other while she shook Will’s hand.

Military, of course they were. They all shared the military gene. Lean and muscular, fit with a could-be-in-a-recruiting-video attractiveness. Will had the blond hair, blue eye thing going on but they all had
that
look. The confidence. Hell, they all wore about the same outfit—faded jeans and form-fitting tees...not that she was complaining.

She turned to the only one of the group who flipped her switches. “Do you know anyone who’s not military?”

“Other than you and my sister?” Sawyer wrinkled up his nose as if he were really contemplating the question. “Not really.”

There wasn’t really anything Hailey could say to that, so she didn’t try.

Marcus jumped in. “Will plans to hang around once we get our gun range up and running.”

Ours, which meant Marcus was part of the company, just like Jason was. And Will, who stood close to Marcus. They didn’t touch but a certain energy zipped between them. She read people. Liked to watch them and build stories in her head. Theirs was not hard to imagine.

“You don’t get enough practice shooting on the job?” she asked Will.

He shrugged. “You can’t have too much practice.”

She guessed that pretty much summed up all of their views on the subject. “Not sure I can argue with that.”

“Don’t try.” Sawyer took the gun out of her hand and released the magazine. Checked the chamber, ran through the whole quick safety check, before pointing it toward the ground. “What are you two doing here?”

“We were going to go for a run on the eagle course.” Marcus pointed at the trail behind him on the far side of the parking lot opposite the range. “Then we’re off to the gym.”

With a hand over her eyes to block the sun she could squint and make out the dirt trail as it wound its way up a substantial hill and disappeared into an area of overgrown trees. She guessed that amounted to a few miles straight up. Sounded like overkill to her. Add in a second workout after and she thought these two needed help. “I can’t think of a way to make your afternoon more awful. Maybe an afternoon marathon for fun?”

Sawyer laughed. “Add in practice maneuvers and you’ve described their days as SEALs.”

That news left her a little breathless. “You are?”

“Retired.” Marcus hitched a thumb in the direction of his chest then pointed to Will. “He’s still in.”

“Impressive.” Marine special ops, SEALs...it was as if she’d stepped into a fantasy world of rescuers. Not her usual thing but she had to admit having all that might right there made her smile.

“Way more impressive than being a marine.” Will sounded so sincere as he delivered the comment.

Sawyer exhaled all long and dramatic. “I’m holding a gun.”

Since she could almost see the testosterone fly, she guessed she’d walked into the middle of an ongoing feud. “I bet you’ve had this argument before.”

“No.” Marcus shook his head. “No argument. Just a fact about who’s better.”

“Wow, okay.” She couldn’t help it. She liked them all. Every single one of them. One of them made her insides go all squishy and her knees weak, but the joking and comfort level they shared in being able to rib each other opened her eyes to the other parts of Sawyer’s life.

Will elbowed Marcus. “Don’t embarrass the guy in front of his date.”

Now that was interesting
. She glanced over at Sawyer. “Is that what I am?”

He didn’t panic or stutter. He shrugged. “The term works for me.”

Marcus looked around. “Way to go all out on impressing the lady, by the way. Nothing sexier than heading out to the desert to fire guns.”

“Someone broke into her property.” Sawyer dropped that little bomb then stopped talking.

The amusement faded from Marcus’s eyes. “What?”

That fast Will snapped to attention. It was as if he stood up straighter. Grew more intense as his gaze drilled into her. “Are you okay?”

The wall of protectiveness smacked into her and had her stepping back. “It was just the fence and—”

“Broken on purpose.” Sawyer took out his cell and showed them the photo he took of her fence this morning when he insisted they do a walk-through. “The wire was cut.”

“What the fuck?” Marcus looked at the photo then flicked his thumb over the screen to scroll through a few more.

“Do you need help repairing it?” Will asked.

“Sawyer fixed it.” The conversation had almost run away from her. Even now tension spun around them as they took turns looking at the photos and grumbling.

Sawyer had made the same noise when she showed him the spot. Launched into a lecture about motion sensor lights as he needled her into calling the authorities. The sheriff had arrived, talked with Sawyer, and gone. There would be a report. She knew that meant nothing, but Sawyer taking a half hour to repair the hole then checking almost every other inch of the fence meant everything. She planned on showing her appreciation as soon as she took his pants off tonight.

Will made a face as he swore under his breath. “Still...”

“What?” she asked when he didn’t finish the sentence.

He spit it out. “It’s disturbing.”

They closed in, forming a sort of protective ring around her. The range had emptied out right as they arrived and stayed that way. No one else was out there, so maybe it was in their collective nature to see a threat. Close in, rescue, fix. That described Sawyer and seemed to cover his friends, too.