Code Name: Kayla's Fire (26 page)

“Just to get the story straight in that stubborn-ass head of yours, I
had the barrel of a gun pushed in my temple, while ten men watched. I’m not a
fuckin’ porn star. I went through the motions, but I sure as hell didn’t enjoy
it.”

“Liar,” she spit at him.

“Kayla, you don’t want to hear this because you’re afraid. Stop being
afraid baby, and believe for a change.”

“I did believe you, you son of a bitch. That’s the problem.” She made
it back to the car with Thane close behind her. “Why the hell can’t you just
give up?”

Thane’s arm swung around her chest before she could open the door.
“Because you don’t want me to.”

“You’re deranged.”

“I’ve had to struggle for the things I’ve wanted most in my life,
Kayla. You’re the most important. Deal with it.”

“Give up.”

“Wouldn’t you just love that, then you’d be vindicated, wouldn’t you?
You’re forgetting who the man is that loves you.” He turned her and leaned in,
a hairs-breath away from her lips. “This time you’re going to the finish line,
baby—with me. I won’t ring the bell,” a common phrase every SEAL understood, in
reference to the infamous bell of forsaking any further training in the BUD/S
program. The bell tolled for those who gave in.

“Walk away,” she yelled. “You don’t get another chance, Captain. No
one is ever going to hurt me again.”

Thane’s jaw flexed, and he swallowed heavily. “I know I hurt you, and
it’s the last thing I wanted.” He shook his head sharply. “If I’d known you
wouldn’t forgive me…” He raised his gaze to hers. “I would have taken the damn
bullet, and let the princess take her secrets to the grave.”

His words wrenched her guts tight. The thought of him dying
extinguished her anger. “Captain, I have nothing to forgive,” she said deflated,
and tired of fighting. Thane’s hand slid down her arm. “I—just can’t take
another chance on you.” She stared into his handsome face. “You don’t have to
ring the bell. I already did it. You’re free of me.” She pulled away from him
and got in the car.

“Kayla—” He squatted beside her. “Please, we never got a chance to
fall in love like two people normally do. Neither of us expected it. Caught up
in our professions, war, the Shark, I was pulled away from you too many times.
We both deserve another chance. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve just
spent three uninterrupted weeks together. Even though you’re angry with me,
they’re the best three weeks I’ve had in my life. ”

Unscrewing a bottle of water, and taking a deep gulp, she fought the
same thought. “I don’t need you. Stepping up to the plate, and doing the
honorable thing is not necessary. Go back to Coronado.”

“For all the challenges we’ve faced, we survived, and now we’re
together with nothing in our way, but us. The only thing that scares me about
tomorrow is not having you in it.”

She sighed unable to offer anything but a sullen expression. “I’m the
mother of your child, but I’m not your forever, Thane. You’ll have to find
someone else to do happily ever after with.” She tucked the bottle between her
thighs, and snagged the seatbelt, slipping it into the clip. “If you’re done
trying to bullshit me, I’d like to go home,” she said, looking straight out the
window.

Thane’s large palm gently settled on her stomach. “What about him,
Kayla? Are you going to lie to him too? Are you going to be able to hold our
son, then walk away, and pretend you don’t love him? Just like you’re pretending
you don’t love me.”

Her chest
squeezed tight with loss, but her coiled anger found motion. She slapped his
face, hard. Stunned, she took a stuttering breath. Thane could have stopped
her, but he hadn’t. Relief, instead of fury, filled his gaze. Tears blurred her
vision.

“Do you love your son, Kayla?” he whispered. “Would you give your life
for him?”

She wrapped her arms around her belly to protect her child. Thane’s
finger swept the tear away from her cheek. “Yes,” rushed from her lips. He
leaned in and kissed her.

“He knows that too, as do I.”

When Thane wanted to, he went straight for the jugular.

Chapter Twenty-Four

As soon as he parked the car at the ranch, she was up and out. Thane
watched her disappear down the trail to the lake. Forcing her to see the future
instead of shy away from it was hard, but she needed to feel her choice, not
just analyze it. Another small step. He couldn’t move too fast, or she’d catch
on and clam up out of sheer stubbornness. Nope, this mission called for skills
he hadn’t learned from the SEALs, except one—patience. Slowly he’d seduce her,
reel her in. She was the most important target of his life.
Steady as she goes, SEAL.

He strode toward the house. “A boy, shit yes!” he shouted, and pumped
his fist in the air. His little sister wasn’t going to be far behind. Could
they even push for a third? Why not four? Four was a good number. He wanted a
whole loud, crazy house full of children. Diapers and baseball games, ballet
classes and soccer practice. Camping trips in the summer and spring break in
Hawaii. He could see it all, his mermaid and him at the helm.

Stopping, he stared at the forest. He’d heard some guys had a thing
for pregnant women. Sure, some were cute wobbling like little ducks, but they’d
never appealed to him, until now. Kayla’s breasts were becoming fuller. The
sexy little mound that was once her stomach filled as their son grew.
Their son
; the thought made him want to
flex his muscles and act like an idiot. It wasn’t often Kayla let him touch her
skin, but it was silky smooth, and her hips… Pheww, if he kept his thoughts
going on this track it’d make him crazy. Guess he did have a thing for pregnant
women, at least one pregnant woman. He felt so fucking possessive it was like
being half-insane.

His mind circled around the doctor’s visit. He’d taken a chance
letting his fingers swim across Kayla’s skin, but she’d relaxed instantly.
Biting on his top lip and surveying the treetops, he deliberated. Her mind
might be rebelling against him, but he’d bet a million bucks her body felt
differently. Before he knew it, he’d reached the path to the trail.

Oh, and the sight that met his eyes had his insides jumping with
friggin’ joy. Kayla was up to her knees in the clear water, her body gloriously
naked.
Thane to Base Command, mission
elevated to high priority. Target acquired. Expedite plan and conquer one
stubborn, beautiful mermaid.
He ran through the trees, jumping stumps and
ducking limbs. Crouching behind a fallen tree, he watched her finger the
surface of the water, her head back and her dark curls reaching halfway down
her back. Most days, she wore it in a ponytail, but now the ends played with
the wind.

It had been months since they’d made love, but he hadn’t forgotten the
feeling of her body next to his, and neither had the fast approaching hard-on
between his legs. She’d put on a little weight. It made her curves fuller, and
her ass had to be the most glorious thing he’d ever seen. He wanted to grasp it
in both hands and never let go. The woman had been pure, unadulterated catnip
to him since the moment he saw her. The coloring of her skin had always
intrigued him, the faintest, most delicious olive. He cleared his throat
quietly, feeling his tongue go dry.

His target swayed back and forth gently, sending ripples out across
the lake, the water teasing the round, full globes of her ass. She really was a
mermaid, the most enticing he’d ever known. For an instant he worried she’d
reject him, but if he let himself believe that, he might as well pack it in
now. They’d come too far for him to walk away from her. He adjusted himself,
his zipper biting into his flesh. Kayla was more than just his idea of a sexual
fantasy. She was as brave as she was noble. They would spend the rest of their
lives in love, arguing, making up, but their bond would be to the end of their
days. He stripped off his clothes, waited until she faced the other way, and
slid into the water. When she turned, he took a deep breath and slipped beneath
the surface. The distance was a little more than one pool length, no sweat.

* * * *

Kayla’s attention lingered on the water to the right of her. Small
rings ranged outward and she disregarded it, probably a small fish nipping at
bugs close to the surface. She waded deeper, until the water covered half her
belly, enjoying the coolness. Something rose up behind her, hands following her
legs and clenching arms around her waist. Memories of Jason from
Friday the 13th
pushed a shriek from her
throat.

Thane chuckled, and pressed himself against her. Feeling his shaft in
the hollow of her back, her pulse kicked into a different gear. “Hot day,
thought I’d cool off,” he said against her ear. “Mind sharing?”

There was no way she was going to turn around and look at him, not
without wilting. Thane’s right hand cupped some water, and he tipped it against
her hip, following the droplets with his fingers.

“You feel warm.” His lips barely touched her throat, but it scorched
like dragon’s fire, and her body switched into autopilot. With gentle strokes,
he singed a path across her stomach, and when his fingers cupped her breasts, brushing
her nipples with his thumbs, a groan left his throat.

Being pregnant made her body unbelievably sensitive. The rough tips of
his fingers tenderly circled her peaks, stiffening them. Thane lingered at the pulse
in her throat. His confident hands slipped between her thighs, and he groaned
again, caressing the wetness from her body. Coils of desire released themselves
with the perfect pressure of his practiced hand passing over her sensitive
need. Her walls of restraint dissolved like a sand castle under pounding surf.
Stopping his attention became an irretrievable thought.

 
“Don’t ask me not to love you.
It’s the one thing I can’t do.” His other hand squeezed her nipple as he kept
up the sensual pace, separating her from her anger, and drawing her into his
sensual trap. A trap her deceitful body craved. Her hips swayed with every soft
stroke, and the heavy thumps of his chest began to beat faster, in rhythm with hers.
Folding her in his arms, he turned her, drawing her tight, their bodies pasted
together. “Let me show you how beautiful you are.”

He waded to a pile of boulders sitting along the shore, his mouth demanding
a response, possessive, then playful, like he was confused himself. One large
boulder angled down toward the water, and he settled her against it. For a
second, he dipped below the surface, and then he rose out of it like an erotic
advertisement, the drops of water slipping down his smooth skin, catching on
the rippling cords of muscle. His hands wound around her thighs, bringing his
handsome features and firm lips to hover at her mound. With his gaze cemented
on her, he buried his tongue, causing her hips to buck, and a cry escaped her.
Fingers parted her, and his tongue swept one sensual, slow lick against her
tender nerves.

The burn of need cloaked her mind, shrieking at her to spread her
thighs wider, and offer herself to him. Kneeling on a rock, he rose above her,
his eyes burning with meaning. “You’re the only woman who can feed my hunger.
Six months of starvation, Kayla. You—only you.” He ran a line of wet promises
against her lips, tempting her to open.

Nipping her shoulders, and working his way down, he placed gentle
kisses on the soft bottom of her breast. With pelting flashes, fire ripped
through her. He ran his teeth across the tip while his fingers stroked her,
bringing her close, but not allowing her over the edge. He’d never loved her like
this before. Higher and higher, she climbed, breathless, crazy with passion.
The words tumbled from her. “Thane, I need you inside me.”

His swollen crown circled her entry, teasing her. “Sweetheart, open
your eyes. See me.”

As he entered her with a slow, upward stroke, her anger let go, and
her love for him rose up and nearly suffocated her.

“I need you more,” he confessed. “This is where I belong.”

They both shuddered hard as he stretched her, and her muscles
softened, accepting him and then clutched him hard, never wanting him to leave
her. Drawing out, then sweeping in with a plunge, his body quivered madly in
rhythm with hers. Every muscle on his body strained, his stomach solid as
marble. His passion found voice with a loud groan, and he dove deep inside her,
thrusting forward, and clamping his mouth on her breast, sucking on it. They’d
lost their humanity, and craved each other at instinctual levels. A handful of
strokes, and they were both coming hard, their bodies shaking with release. He
shuddered, the roar of pleasure leaving both their throats at the same time.

She lay against the rock, absolutely sated, staring up at the bluest
sky she’d ever seen. The wind caressed her conscience, and eventually she
propped herself up. Thane tread water at her feet, looking up at her, his hair
slick against his head, the water reflecting the bluest points of his eyes. “Happy
Birthday, Snow White.” A small impish grin pulled at his lips. “You are the
love of my life. Our son will make us proud because he’s half you and half me.
There’s no other woman who’s given me faith like you have. Never forget that.” He
swam away from her, his strong arms stroking through the water with ease. With
incredible speed, he swam the entire length of the lake and then half way back,
finally reaching the shore and disappearing into the trees.

* * * *

Entering the house, he stopped short. Caught in his thoughts, his mind
went from joy to threat in a millisecond, until he realized who lazed on the
couch with a beer in his hand.

“Thane.”

“Hey, old man.” He remained where he was.

Pat picked up a beer and swayed it at him. “Cold one?”

“Sure,” he said, sitting down cautiously across from him.

Pat stared at him with his steel gray eyes. “I knew something was up
when I got wind Red was trying to stop the memorial service. Didn’t fit, ya
know, and I haven’t heard from you in three weeks,” he blustered and slammed
down his beer.

“Sorry, bud.”

“Yeah, sorry. What’s going on?”

“Heard you passed the physical.” Pat glared at him, calculating, and
he could read the man’s mind, ‘Not good enough of an answer’. He sighed and sat
back in the couch. “The fewer people who know, the safer Kayla is.”

“I get that. Am I people?” he spit out. “Is Marg just people? You know,
I still catch her in tears.” Pat shook his head. “You two are something else.
You’re so wrapped up in yourselves, you don’t think about anybody else.”

Thane lowered his head. “It’s complicated right now.” He kept shoulder-checking.
In about thirty seconds, Kayla was going to be coming through the door like a
harpy on a mission from hell. She’d be angry at herself, and spitting fire at
him, because she’d let herself be seduced. Ah, well, it wasn’t like Pat and
Marg hadn’t had their share of knock-down, drag-out fights when they were
younger. He never really knew what they were about, but Pat broke a lot of
stuff and killed a lot of ‘T’s’ getting it out of his system.

“Well, you’re gonna share,” Pat said harshly.

The door crashed open, banging against the wall. “Thane, you son of a bitch,”
she yelled.

Right on time, the three o’clock express train, with Kayla at the helm,
came roarin’ into the living room.

“….Oh.” Kayla breathed, stopping between the door and them, seeing
Cobbs.

“Kayla.” Pat rose. “Jesus Christ, I could kill both of you.” He pulled
her into an all-encompassing hug, something rare for Pat Cobbs, who never
showed a sign of weakness or warmth. “Bloody hell, woman,” he said, holding a
hand to her stomach. “You’re beautiful.”

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, gazing up at him through her thick
lashes, her breathing still labored. She must have fast-footed it to the house.

“You damn well should be. Marg is going to tear a strip off you.”
Kayla scowled, but it didn’t hide the guilt. “Come on, sit down. You look out
of breath.”

Pat watched as Kayla sat down, but in the chair instead of beside him.
When she did turn her eyes on him, they were like an Eskimo in a snowstorm.

“As much as I’m pissed you didn’t call me when you found her, I’d have
to agree with you about hiding Kayla.” He had both their attention now. “The Shark
has killed three women in the last two days. We still don’t have any leads.
Nina’s fine,” he said, beating Kayla’s question with an answer. “She’s living
with Mace.” He glanced between them, a smirk breaking his domineering features.
“Don’t think that’s going to end when the Shark is caught, though. That guy is
so fucked up over her.” They both smiled. “He wants to ask her to marry him.”

Kayla’s anger was forgotten. “Soon?” she asked.

“Don’t know. I think they’re waiting. No one believes you’re dead.” A
squeak escaped the leather couch when he adjusted himself. “You made it a
little obvious, disappearing off the face of the planet for the last three
weeks, Thane.”

He nodded. The teams were always interacting. They were family, and
for someone to disappear meant trouble, which would send one or all looking.
“Probably.”

“The Shark, no doubt, is wondering as well, but I wouldn’t go back
now. One glimpse and he’d be on your tail.”