Harrier's Healer (24 page)

to send you back on the same COD.”

Alexis did her best to hide a grimace. The Carrier Onboard Deli-

very plane.
Nothing like catching a ride on that!
Being catapulted off the

deck wasn’t exactly fun in her opinion.
“It has been an honor and a

pleasure to serve under you, sir,” she said, standing and offering her

hand out to the older man.

“The pleasure is all mine. Now, go get packed. We will helo you

over to the carrier in thirty. Dismissed.”

Snapping to attention, she nodded and spun on her heel to head

back to her rack and pack her belongings.
This is one weird tour.

She reached women’s berthing and gathered her belongings.

Alexis was just about done when she heard a knock on her door.

“Come in…”

“I can’t believe you are leaving!” The whine came from behind

her.

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Aliyah Burke

Alexis smiled sadly, tying up her sea bag. “Me, either. I liked be-

ing out here.”

Katie approached, a forlorn look upon her face. “We will stay in

touch, right?”

“Of course we will, Katie.” A smile crossed Alexis’s face as she

hugged her friend. “Friends for life,” she said in Spanish as she shoul-

dered her sea bag and garment bag and headed towards the ladders to

get to the helo pad.

Virginia

“We have temporary housing set for you, ma’am, until you fig-

ure out what you want to do,” the seaman said as she took one of her

bags and led the way.

Temp housing? Well, I should be happy it is bigger than my space on

the ship.
“Thank you, seaman,” Alexis said as she followed the young

woman up the steps and into her transitory home.

“After you get settled, ma’am, a car will be ready to take you to

the hospital. Admiral Larkin is expecting you.”

A freakin’ admiral? Great, now I really have to watch my mouth!
“I

will be back down in ten minutes,” Alexis said as she looked around her

small room.
Time to find a place to rent.

Stowing her gear swiftly, Alexis did a quick once-over of her

uniform. She was exhausted but she still had to go check in before she

could commit to some much-needed shuteye. Pulling her hair back into

a new, tighter bun, she went back down to the early July afternoon,

putting on her cover, her hat, as soon as she got outside. The car was

waiting as promised and soon Alexis was being taken to Norfolk to

check in with her new commanding officer, Admiral Larkin.

Not the best day but at least it is over.
Alexis shut the door to her

weeks’ old apartment as she dropped her things on the polished hard-

wood floors and then ran to the sink for a glass of cold water. It had

been one emergency after another today and she was exhausted.

“God, I hate this heat!” she swore, draining the glass in one

gulp. Running water over her hand, Alexis applied it to the back of her

neck, trying to cool herself down. She’d been here for two weeks now,

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145

and she could say without a doubt summer in Virginia was not plea-

sant.

As the cool air of her dwelling finally sank in, she walked back

to her bags to put them in their proper place. Standing in her kitchen as

she made herself a salad, Alexis was listening to an R&B mix when her

cell phone began to chime.

“What if it is them calling me back? I need some rest,” she

moaned, hesitating to pick up the phone.
Too bad I can’t just ignore it.

Flipping it open, she answered, “Rogets.”

“Hello, sexy,” the baritone voice caressed her through the

phone.

Tears formed in her eyes. Biting back a smile she answered,

“Hey, yourself, handsome.” It had been almost two months since he’d

left her sleeping in bed.

“You know who this is, right?”

“Isn’t this the Marine that I met two nights ago at the bar?” she

teased.

The growl was fully audible to her. “Lex.”

She began to laugh. “How are you, Commander?”

“Good. We just landed today. Happy birthday.”

“You remembered!” Alexis smiled as the tears began to fall.

“Of course. Didn’t you get the flowers I sent?” he asked.

“No, but I’m not with the
Everett
anymore,” she began as a

knock came on her door. “Just a sec, someone is at the door.”

“Okay.”

Alexis walked over to the door and opened it to admit a man

holding a huge bouquet of mixed flowers. “Thank you, just a sec and I

will get you a tip.”

The delivery man shook his head. “It’s been taken care of. I have

one more; I will be right back.”

“Okay, the door will be open, just come on in.” Alexis walked

back to the phone and picked it back up. “You are the sweetest man

around.”

Scott said, “I know. Did you like the roses?”

Narrowing her eyes, she reached for the card that was in the

bouquet. All it said was,
For the love of my life.

“Well? Did you?” Scott asked again.

“I am looking at a mixed bouquet.”

“Well, I sent roses.” There was a hint of anger in his voice.

“He said he had another delivery for me,” Alexis tried.

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Aliyah Burke

“Who else is sending you flowers?”

“I don’t know. The card isn’t signed,” she said. Another knock

on the door and Alexis yelled, “Come on in. Just set them down and I

will sign for them in a moment.”

“Who else is sending you flowers?” The question was repeated,

but it was coming from behind her.

Confused, Alexis turned and came face to face with the man she

had missed so much. “Scott!” she squealed, dropping the phone and

running over to him as he set down the two dozen blood-red roses on

her table and jumping into his arms. He caught her around the waist.

Their lips met hungrily. Alexis had her legs and arms around

him as she removed her lips from his. “What are you doing here? Why

are you here? And, for that matter, how did you know where to find

me?”

“I will always know where to find you, Lex.” His words made

her feel so safe. “And I’m here because I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” They were nose to nose.

“I would love to show how much I missed you, but I have to get

to Norfolk. I have an appointment with JAG.”

Her face fell as her legs unhooked from his body. “Okay. Thanks

for the flowers, and for stopping in.”

“I have to go now or,” he paused and his eyes boldly moved up

and down her body. “Or I won’t make my appointment, my enchanting

healer.” He kissed her again and stepped away from her to caress her

lips with his thumb. His eyes were gentle as they looked upon her face.

“Bye, Commander.” Alexis said, trailing two fingers down his

tee shirt.

“Until later, my love.” With a wink he was gone, leaving her

alone—alone with the flowers and unfilled desires.

It was close to midnight when Alexis padded towards her bed-

room. The weather just felt too sticky to sleep so she stayed up reading

the latest medical thriller she had purchased at the grocery store. Since

it was her birthday and the weekend, staying up late wasn’t a bad

thing. The doorbell rang while she was in the process of removing her

tank top. Pulling it back down, she walked into the living room and

opened the door.

“What the hell are you doing opening the door this time of the

night without asking who it is first?” demanded the man on the other

side.

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With a shrug, Alexis slammed the door closed in the man’s face.

“Suit yourself,” she muttered. Arms crossed, she remained there

waiting for the inevitable.

The man on the other end didn’t disappoint. “Lex!” he thun-

dered. “Open this here door!”

Leaning her back against the cool wood her voice rang out su-

gary sweet. “Who is it?”

“Alexis,” the masculine voice dropped further.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know any men named Alexis.” She tried not

to laugh at the words coming out of that man’s mouth. “Do you kiss

your mother with that mouth?” she admonished through the door.

“I’ll kiss you with it if you’d open the damn door,” he growled.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I don’t want any potty mouth near me.” Alexis

laughed, swinging the door open and hugging the man who stood

there.

“Good to see you, Lex,” he said affectionately, kissing her on the

cheek.

“And you. Come on in. What are you doing here?” Alexis drew

the man into her apartment as he reached behind him to grab his

suitcase. Her eyes traveled fondly over the tall, muscular black man.

“Convention. Figured I’d stay with you.” He hugged her again.

“That okay by you?”

“Fine by me.” Leading the way, she walked to the guest room.

“How is Sean?”

“Well,” the man said in his low voice. “He’s a teenage boy. He’s

with his mother’s parents. Wanted to come with me, but they asked to

keep him a while.” Opening a suitcase, the man pulled out a wrapped

box. “For you.”

“What is it?”

“Just open it,” he answered with a shake of his dark head.

Alexis sat down on the edge of the bed and opened the small

box. Inside was a ring box, light gray in color. Opening that, her mouth

fell open as she looked at the ring perched inside.

It displayed a platinum band inlaid with peridot and tanzanite.

She loved its simple elegance from the moment her eyes lay upon it.

“Ohhh,” Alexis breathed, almost hesitant almost to touch it.

Kneeling before her he took the ring out of the box. “Go on, it’s

for you. Happy birthday, darlin’.”

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Aliyah Burke

Alexis sipped it on over her ring finger on her right hand. A per-

fect fit. “I have always wanted this ring.” Her expressive eyes met his

and a brilliant smile lit up her face. “Why would you do this?”

“Yes. Why would you do that?” A new voice entered the con-

versation, drawing up two pairs of stunned eyes.

Reacting quickly, the man who’d been kneeling jumped up at

the man standing in the doorway wearing a scowl on his face. The

altercation was over before it really even began.

“Scott, no!” Alexis shrieked as he held the man who attacked

him immobile. “Let him go!” She jumped up and inserted her body

between the two men.

Seductive blue eyes were hard with rage as he followed the

Alexis’s bidding. His body stayed alert to the motions of the other man

rubbing his arm and sending him evil looks. “Who is he, Lex? And why

was he on his knees giving you a ring?” The anger-laden tone filled the

small room.

One hand on Scott, Alexis reached out toward the other man on-

ly to find herself hauled up against one very pissed off SEAL. “This is

my brother Kieran, Scott. My brother. The ring is a birthday present.”

Her eyes rose up and met his, begging him to understand. “Kieran, are

you okay?”

“Sis, tell me right now why some white man just walked into

your apartment and froze my movements like nobody’s business.”

Electing to stay up against Scott’s chest but turning to face her

brother, Alexis began to talk. “This is Scott, he’s my…my…my….” Her

face scrunched up as she lost any idea of what she was going to say.

How did she classify her relationship with Scott? She knew what she

wished it to be, but not how he classified it.

“Her man,” the arrogant SEAL inserted.

Kieran’s dark eyes grew wide. “Her man? You are
her
man?

You?”

“Yep,” Scott answered without missing a beat.

Pinning his eyes on his youngest sibling, Kieran was shocked.

“Sis?” He asked the question about the truth of Scott’s statement

without verbalizing it.

Not looking back at the man whose chest she leaned on, she

stuttered, “Well, we are kinda together.”

“Kinda?” Her brother sounded skeptical.

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“Kinda?” Scott sounded pissed, and he spun her around so he

could look at her.

Scott felt his heart clench all over again. It’d happened earlier

when he’d come back to Alexis’s apartment after having dinner with

some friends to see her door ajar. He’d gone completely into battle

mode, moving swiftly and silently throughout the dwelling, promising

excruciating harm should someone have hurt her. The sight of a man

kneeling before her and presenting her with a ring hadn’t lessened his

urge to fight; in fact, it had increased it. The only reason the man still

breathed was because he was Alexis’s brother.

But that feeling compared to what he experienced now.

He watched as Alexis realized how furious and hurt he was. Ig-

noring her brother, she instead focused on him. “Well, we never really

defined our relationship.”

His eyes narrowed.
What the hell kind of shit is this?
“We’re sleep-

ing together. To me, that’s pretty damn defined.” Scott blinked slowly

several times, unbelieving she could think this was a fling.

“I didn’t want to make any assumptions about how you felt,”

Alexis mumbled, dropping her eyes.

“So you were okay with just being a booty call for me?” His tone