Intensity (2 page)

Grey signaled for a beer and thumped his thumb on
the table as he waited, mulling over the thoughts streaking through
his mind. “We all have that one that gets under our skin. I’m
unlucky enough that she’s mine.”

“Unlucky?”

“Fighting an uphill battle here; she despises
me.”

“She didn’t seem exactly pleased to see you.” Grey
snorted. “So, basically that little thing there is your
kryptonite.”

Yeah, that was it exactly. He flipped his teammate
off. “Fuck off, Jay.”

“Time and place.”

Grey accepted the beer and took a healthy drink.
“Sure your boyfriend would be okay with that?”

Jay never missed a beat. “Probably want to join
in.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m good, thanks.”

Jay leaned forward. “You heard about the reworking
of the Teams, right?”

Grey nodded. “Not sure if I should believe it or
not.”

“Has to do with women being allowed in.”

Grey thought about Sarah.
Would she have gone for
the training were it allowed when she enlisted?

Sarah Mallery was a feisty woman. Always had been.
Wanting to keep up with her brother, even when he had begun hanging
with less savory characters. Grey pushed to his feet. “I’m
out.”

Jay grunted and toasted him with his beer. Grey
strolled out to the warm California night. San Diego was a favorite
place of his. The rumble of a motorcycle had him looking up, even
though he had no doubt it wasn’t who he sought.

Damn it.
Everywhere he looked he was reminded
of her. He needed to move on.
Needed
to. Wouldn’t, however.
She’d long since burrowed under his skin.

I could kidnap her and force a confrontation.
He shook his head, accepting that would be a fool’s mission.

Some fucking SEAL I am. I’m ready to drink until I’m
drunk enough to call her and beg to see her.

The wind blew over him, reminiscent of her
fingertips trailing over his skin, exploring and teasing. Then,
they would turn demanding as they bit into his flesh. The breeze
from the water did very little in cooling down his heat.

He was in for a life of hellish torment for want of
this woman. In the parking lot before him, a woman strode to a
motorcycle and straddled it. The sight was sexy, but she wasn’t the
one he wanted. No, it was Sarah. Always, Sarah. Hell, the first
time he’d seen her after leaving Cottonwood Falls, she’d been on a
bike.

Parris Island was muggy. Typical southern summer
weather. He strode along the walkway toward his destination. The
chants of Marines as their formations moved by him got drowned out
by the roar of a Harley. He paused to stare at the parking lot
before the gym.

A woman rode it—that was easy to ascertain by the
form-fitting, steel-gray leather jacket. She was clad in medium
indigo jeans and heavy black boots. Her full helmet was black with
a silver design on the side. She parked and shut off the engine
then took off her headgear.

Black wavy hair tumbled free, partway down her back.
His feet wouldn’t move. He groaned when she swung a long leg over,
unzipping then removing her jacket. Her tank top, a pale green,
left nothing to his imagination.

Sweat began trickling down his spine, and he gulped.
Lust hit him with the force of a pound of C-4 going off beside him,
rocking him on his feet, making a roar in his ears, almost taking
him to the ground.

“Mallery!” a woman yelled and hurried over to
her.

She waved and met the blonde after swiping a small
bag off the back of her bike. Together, they crossed to the
building and vanished inside. He was partway across the street
before he realized what he was doing. He had to know who she was,
so he continued on his way inside. A husky chuckle reached him, and
with the shivers skating along his skin, he smiled. He’d found
her.

She leaned against the desk, talking to the one man.
The blonde woman stood there, as well, a smile on her face, too.
They progressed to the women’s room. Grey took a seat on one of the
benches along the wall, allowing himself to see them when they
left.

“Fuck,” he grunted when she strode back out. They
had changed into small shorts and white t-shirts. His cock punched
the material of his pants, demanding freedom. A purely visceral
reaction he wasn’t about to ignore it. He’d not felt anything like
this in years. In fact, not ever as far as he could recall.

They pushed into the gymnasium, and he trailed
behind them, feeling almost stalkerish but not enough to leave. He
watched the high-fiving and greetings before they began a game of
basketball. Both men and women were playing. If Grey hurried, he
could finish his meeting and be back by the time she left. He spun
on his heel and hastened back outside and on to his meeting.

Once it was finished, he beat feet back to the
parking lot, ensured her bike was still there then waited. Fifteen
minutes later, she emerged from the building, once again dressed in
jeans and the tank top, her jacket slung over one shoulder with the
bag and helmet in hand.

He pushed to his feet and waited by her bike. After
saying her farewell to the woman who’d met her there, she strode
toward him. The mirrored shades hid her gaze, but he knew she
watched him.

“Hey,” he said as she stopped by the other side of
her bike. “Nice ride.”

“Thanks,” she replied, securing her bag. “Something
I can do for you?”

Something rang familiar about her. “Have we met
before?”

She flashed a smile that made his knees knock,
especially combined with the soft, husky laughter. “Really? That’s
what you’re coming with?”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “I feel like
I should know you from somewhere. Are you sure?”

“I don’t even know your name.”

It was his turn to smile. “Grey Sorenson.”

She tipped her head forward and stared at him over
the rectangular rim of her glasses. “Really?”

“Why is that a surprise?”

“I grew up with a Grey. Small town in Georgia.”

“Cottonwood Falls is where I’m from.”

“Hell, I owe you an apology. We do know one another.
Not well, but I’m Sarah Mallery.”

Little Sarah Mallery had gone and grown up nicely.
“Good to see you, again,” he said, holding out his hand.

She took it, and he was hard pressed not to follow
it up with a kiss.

“It is. I’m sorry, I thought you were in the
Navy.”

He grinned. “I am. Lieutenant Sorenson.” Her posture
straightened a bit more, and he waved off the “sir” he knew was
coming. “Have you eaten, yet? I’d love to catch up.”

“I can meet you at the Sand Trap, if you’d like. Or
did you have somewhere else in mind?”

There wasn’t any hidden suggestion in her question
that he could pick up on; she was just being blunt.

“Sand Trap is fine.” He didn’t have any clue where
it was, but he’d find out. “Right now?”

She nodded. “Let’s walk over.”

Grey was smitten. Why he hadn’t realized this about
her before, he wasn’t sure, but this woman was going to be his wife
and the mother of his children.

“Perfect,” he’d replied.

The blare of a horn snapped him from his trip down
memory lane. The woman on the bike was long gone while the memories
of Sarah were as fresh as if they’d happened yesterday. He shoved
his hands in his pockets and headed back to his room, trying to
figure out how he was going to get her alone.

And naked.

Chapter Two

“Two tangos inbound. You’ve got less than thirty
seconds, Bug. Twenty, tops.”

“Fifteen more than I need. Finished,” Sarah said
softly. The comm in her ear would transmit everything without
problem to those listening in and not having the need to yell. “I’m
clear.”

She plastered herself flat against the thatched roof
and stared down at the two men dressed in jungle fatigues as they
went by. No looking up for the roofs weren’t very secure and
couldn’t hold much weight. As light as she was, even she stuck to
the joists to make sure she didn’t tumble through.

“Clear.” She hopped down and slipped back into the
woods as silently as she’d arrived. Within five minutes, the six of
them were moving back toward their extraction point, two clicks to
the east.

Her clothes stuck to her, and sweat ran down her
skin, as it did the others with her. Dirty, tired, and sweaty. She
grinned. Her life rocked. Moments later, the ground shook as the
explosives she’d placed went off.

“What are you smiling at over there, Bug?”

Flashing teeth at the black man nicknamed Owl, she
said, “Just thinking how much I fucking love this job.”

“Nothing better in life,” he said in agreement.

“Ohh-rah,” the others chimed in as one.

“Quiet, girls.”

She shared an eye roll with the others. Leave it to
their boss to dampen the party they were having. She cracked her
neck and picked up the pace, ready to leave the jungle behind and
get in a shower and wear something clean.

Their ride out was on time, and she stretched her
legs out with a smile.

“What are you going to do when you get back,
Bug?”

“Shower.” She never even opened her eyes as she
replied to Liver. “Then, sleep.”

“Not going out to get laid?”

Flashes of Grey bombarded her, much like the devices
she’d set earlier. Fighting the urge to shift on the seat, she
slowly opened her eyes to find all five of them looking at her.
“Really? Y’all are that interested in my sex life?”

“Call us concerned citizens,” Laser said.

“Concerned citizens,” she repeated, doubt drenching
those two words.

“Yes,” Windy replied. “We need to make sure he’s
good enough for you.”

She hooked her ankles. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll let
you check up on my men when you let me start vetting the whores
y’all shack up with after a mission. I promise you, none of those
skanks would pass, so unless you want to go without, I suggest we
drop this.”

As expected, it shut all of them up, and she closed
her eyes once more with a slight chuckle. She loved them all, but
damn it, she wasn’t about to tell them about her issues. Hell, she
didn’t want to address them herself.

She roused when they landed and, after the debrief,
went back to her room. Dropping her rucksack, she shrugged out of
her clothes and walked naked to the shower, where she stepped
beneath the streaming hot water.

She took her time, washing off the piled on dirt and
grime. Feeling marginally human again, she shut off the water and
reached for a towel. Her bed looked inviting, but she had a date,
and so, she pushed away her desire for sleep, opting instead to
dress.

Tucking her ID and money into her bra, she gave
herself one last glance before departing her room. She smiled at
the sight of the familiar red Hyundai Genesis coupe waiting for
her. With a wave for the driver, she hurried to the vehicle.

“Hey, Shea,” she said, sliding in over the black
leather. “How are you doing?”

Shea Worthington was a fellow Marine and wonderful
friend. Her smile was bright against her nut-brown skin.

“I’m fine. How are you doing? I’d heard you were off
with Admiral Davies, helping him take care of some things.”

Sarah nodded. “Yes. You know how top brass hates to
do paperwork themselves.”

Shea muttered under her breath. “You would think,
after all we do, we’d have a bit more responsibility than being a
glorified secretary.”

“Roger that, Captain. Although, really, look at what
you do. Flying all those Super Cobras.” Sarah wasn’t ever able to
tell anyone about what she did. Most of her file had been blacked
out. But Admiral Davies was one who knew the truth, and he was the
one who called when she had to go. “So, where are we heading
tonight?”

Shea slowed as they left the base then she opened up
the engine and peeled them off down the road. “I thought we’d have
us a nice dinner at Thalassa’s then, if you’re still up for hanging
out, we could go down to Jubers.”

“That sounds like one hell of a plan to me. What
have you been up to?”

“Training and more training. Same ole, same ole, but
I love it and wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”

Sarah felt the same way about what she did. Shea
parked at the restaurant, and the two of them got out. She smoothed
a hand down her dress as she waited for Shea to walk around to her
side. The valet looked at them, and together, they smiled at
him.

“Nothing like turning heads,” Shea said.

“Nice to wear something other than the uniform.”
Side by side, they headed up the steps. Sarah slanted her gaze to
her friend. The white sleeveless dress hugged her curves as if it
had been painted on. The asymmetrical hem skirt had pleated detail,
and Shea had matching white stilettos. Gazing at her own dress,
Sarah smiled, . She didn’t look too shabby either.

Hers was an off the shoulder style, the body-hugging
sky blue dress covered by black floral netted overlay. Her shoes
were black.

After weeks in the jungle and mud, this was just
what she needed. Men stared at them as they continued on their way
to a table. The Greek American restaurant was one they enjoyed
eating at.

“So,” Sarah said, after they’d placed their orders.
“Tell me how things are with you and David.”

She rolled her eyes. “He’s getting an issue now
because I fly helicopters.”

“You were flying them when you two met, right?”

“Yes. But, apparently, now it’s threatening his
manhood.” She snorted. “Or some stupid thing like that.”

“God, that’s pathetic.”

She shrugged. “Tell me about it. Remember the old
adage if they wanted me to have a wife, they would have issued me
one? I’m thinking the Marine Corps just needs to give me a husband
who will be okay with everything I do. What about you? Any hot men
on the horizon?”