Navy SEAL Captive (4 page)

Again, he cupped her face. “His loss, my gain. If you'd come with him, you might not have found the case and come to warn me.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the backs of her knuckles. “Thank you. And for the record, your fiancé was a fool.”

“Ex-fiancé,” she amended, staring at the hand he kissed. “And I agree. I'm better off without him.” She stood as if frozen to the spot, her eyes widening as her tongue swept across pale pink lips.

Sawyer couldn't resist. He bent to brush his mouth across hers in what he'd intended as a brief sweep. But as soon as his lips connected with hers, he couldn't back away. He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close, deepening the kiss.

She rested her palms on his chest. Instead of pushing him away, her fingers curled into him, her nails scraping against his skin.

He skimmed the seam of her lips, and she opened to him.

He caressed her tongue with his, fire burning through his veins, searing a path south to his groin.

Jenna's hands slid up his chest and linked behind his neck, pulling him closer.

The sound of a metal lock clicking brought Sawyer out of the trance Jenna's mouth had him in, and he lifted his head.

“Oh.” The woman who'd been with Jenna at the zip line stopped in the middle of the doorway, her eyes rounding. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you.” She pointed to the closet and hurried across the room. “I'll just be a minute,” she said, tiptoeing into the room, grimacing. “Don't mind me. Go back to what you were doing.” She grabbed a dress and raced into the bathroom, calling out over her shoulder, “I didn't see anything. Continue kissing.”

Jenna stepped away from Sawyer, her cheeks bright red, her eyes averted. She pressed a hand to her lips and stared out the window.

When the bathroom door opened again, her friend smiled. “Don't wait up for me. I might not be back. I'm taking my toothbrush just in case.” She rushed to the door, yanked it open and turned with a full grin on her face. “And for the record, Tyler didn't deserve you. And you deserve to have fun. You go, girl!” She pumped her fist and let the door close automatically behind her.

“Don't mind Carly. She has no filter.” Jenna chuckled softly. “She'd tell you that herself.”

“I get that.”

“Should we catch her before she gets on the elevator and warn her about the hit man?” Jenna started for the door.

“No. Text her and tell her you'd like to have the room to yourself. That should keep her from coming back to a potentially dangerous situation.”

Jenna texted the message.

Carly texted back with a smiley face.

God, she probably thought Sawyer was staying the night. Jenna's cheeks heated and she couldn't face the man. Instead, she walked back toward the gunman's bag. “What do I do with the case? Should I take it back to the lobby and leave it for its owner?”

“No use making it easy for him to kill me. If he wants me badly enough, he'll have to find another weapon to do the job.”

Jenna shivered. “I'd just as soon he didn't do the job at all.”

“You and me both.”

“In the meantime, what do I do with it?” Jenna waved at the case.

“I'll take it. I know someone who might help.” He lifted the suitcase off the bed and headed for the door.

Jenna jumped in front of him. “Wait a minute. Where are you going?”

“Back to my room.”

“If he knows you're in Cancún, the assassin will know which room you're in.” She touched his arm. “You can't go back there.”

“What do you suggest?”

She glanced around the bridal suite. “I figure if he hasn't already come after me for the case, chances are he doesn't know I have it.”

“Then this will have to stay here for now.” Sawyer hefted the gun case onto the shelf in the closet and straightened, facing Jenna. “We need to find your case before he does.”

“Right.” Jenna nodded. “I guess you can stay here until I get back. I hope my case has been delivered from the airport by now.”

“Uh-uh.” Sawyer shook his head. “You're not going anywhere without me.”

Her brows pulled together. “But he'll recognize you as soon as you set foot into the lobby—if he didn't see you coming in the first time.”

“Not if I wear a hat and sunglasses.” He glanced around the room. “I don't suppose you have a T-shirt that will fit me and a baseball cap or sunglasses.” He stared down at his naked chest. “I seem to have come ill-prepared for undercover ops. If not, I'll pick up something in the gift shop.”

Jenna's gaze zeroed in on his chest, and as they had so often in the past few minutes, her cheeks flamed. “I might have something,” she said and hurried toward the dresser. After riffling through her clothes for a few seconds, she surfaced with an oversize black, white and gold New Orleans Saints football jersey.

Sawyer held it up. “Are you a fan?”

“I am.” She lifted her chin. “And damn proud of it. So don't talk bad about my Saints.”

He winked and dragged the jersey over his head and shoulders. “I wouldn't dream of it. But isn't the shirt a little big for you?”

“It's perfect to sleep in,” she said, her cheeks reddening again. She handed him a pair of mirrored sunglasses and a Saints ball cap. “Ready?”

He slipped the glasses onto his face and the cap on his head and nodded. “Let's go. But me first.”

Jenna frowned. “Do you think he might be on the other side of the door?” She stepped in front of him. “Maybe I should go first.”

“Lady, you're killing my ego.” He smoothed his hand behind her head, grabbed those lush red curls and tugged, tilting her head back. “But you're beautiful when you do it.” Sawyer kissed her hard on the lips, set her away from the door and reached for the handle.

Chapter Four

Jenna bunched her fists. If the assassin waited on the other side of the door, it would take only one bullet to kill Sawyer.

“Stand back.” With one hand on the door, Sawyer pushed Jenna out of sight. He glanced through the peephole and then stood to the side as he eased open the door. “Stay.”

“I'm not a dog,” she muttered, her breath catching and holding as Sawyer peered into the hallway and then stepped out. “I'll be right back.” He left her in the room, the door automatically closing between them.

Jenna ran to the peephole and peered through. She could see only straight across the hallway to a blank wall. No Sawyer.

She gripped the door handle and remembered Sawyer's order. Instead of opening the door, she made herself count to ten. If Sawyer wasn't back by then, she'd go looking for him.

At nine, a light knock sounded on the door.

Jenna glanced through the peephole and then jerked open the door, flinging herself into Sawyer's arms.

“Hey.” He chuckled. “I was only gone three seconds.”

“Eight,” she said, peeling herself off him, feeling foolish for being so dramatic. “But who's counting?”

“The hallway and the stairwell are clear. Let's go.” He took her hand and drew it through his arm, bringing her body close to his.

She liked being against him. Something about Sawyer made her feel protected and safe in this new world of danger and intrigue in which she'd landed. Who would have thought mild-mannered, boring Jenna would end up embroiled in an assassin's plot to murder a navy SEAL?

Well, she'd wanted to break out of her normal routine. This was as far from normal as she could have imagined.

They walked arm in arm down the corridor.

A doorway opened across from the elevator.

Sawyer stepped forward, putting his body in front of hers.

Jenna's heart squeezed hard in her chest. Tyler hadn't done anything to protect her. Not even hold an umbrella over her head in the rain. And hell, she'd never been in a situation where bullets were involved, but she was pretty certain Tyler wouldn't have stepped between her and a potential shooter.

Jenna's knees shook as she peered around Sawyer, praying he wasn't about to be shot.

A young couple dressed in semiformal clothes spilled out of the room, laughing and holding each other like newlyweds. They walked straight across the hallway and hit the button on the elevator to go down.

By the time Jenna and Sawyer reached the elevator, the bell dinged and the door slid open.

Again Jenna had a moment of panic, expecting a gunman to spring from inside, wielding a machine gun, mowing down anything that moved. Her hand tightened on Sawyer's arm.

He covered it with his own. “It's empty,” he whispered, leading her in next to the clingy couple.

“Are you the newlyweds from the bridal suite?” the woman asked, practically wearing her man.

Jenna's cheeks heated and she opened her mouth to stammer a denial, but Sawyer beat her to it.

“Yes, we are.” He slipped his arm around Jenna's waist and pulled her snugly against his side. “Aren't we, sweetheart?” He bent to kiss her.

Taken off guard, Jenna couldn't think of a response and was saved from having to by the brush of his lips across hers.

“Umm,” he said, deepening the kiss.

Jenna's pulse quickened.

“We tried to get the bridal suite, but it was booked when we made our reservations,” the woman said. “Not that I'm complaining. They assured us our room had most of the same accoutrements, minus the hot tub for two.” She pouted and stared into her new husband's eyes. “We'll have to come back on our one-year anniversary, won't we?”

Her husband winked and bent to nuzzle her neck. “Maybe we'll just stay here forever.”

She giggled, and the bell rang announcing their arrival at the lobby level.

The door slid open, and Sawyer tensed against Jenna.

Before Jenna and Sawyer could move, the gushingly happy newlyweds stepped out. “Congrats on your wedding,” the bride said, her eyes sparkling, a smile splitting her face. Blissfully unaware of potential danger lurking around every corner.

“Congrats to you,” Jenna called out. That was supposed to be her on this trip. Happily married to Tyler, giggling and clinging to him.

Then Jenna realized that would never have been her. She and Tyler had never been openly demonstrative, preferring to kiss in private. Or had that been mostly on Tyler's part?

Jenna frowned.

Sawyer had kissed her in front of the other couple, something Tyler would never have done willingly. Then again, Sawyer had been playing the part of the newlywed who couldn't keep from kissing his bride.

Jenna bet he wouldn't be a prude about open displays of affection with the woman he loved. Which made her think. “By the way, are you married?” she whispered.

Sawyer had taken a step out of the elevator into the lobby. He ground to a stop, and the elevator nearly closed before Jenna could get out.

At the last second, he grabbed her hand and tugged, dragging her through the door and into his arms. He bent to kiss her firmly on the mouth and then trailed a line of kisses up to her earlobe. “I might not be the best boyfriend material,” he whispered into her ear.

His warm breath sent shivers of awareness throughout her body.

“But I wouldn't kiss another woman if I were married.” He kissed her again on the mouth. “Satisfied?”

Satisfied? Hardly. One kiss didn't seem to be enough with this man. She might never be satisfied. If it had been a different situation, she might demand more kisses to see if she finally grew tired of them.

She couldn't imagine that ever happening.

Sawyer straightened and glanced around behind the relative anonymity of the mirrored sunglasses and ball cap.

Meanwhile, Jenna's body trembled. She feared she might have melted into the floor if Sawyer hadn't been holding her around the waist.

“We should check with the concierge to see if your bag has arrived from the airport,” Sawyer said.

“Yes. My bag.” Jenna's cheeks burned. Did she sound that airheaded? The SEAL's kisses made her forget everything, including the fact that a gunman was after him.

An image of the sniper-rifle parts flashed through her mind, bringing her back to reality. Sawyer was in danger. She needed to focus on him and keeping him safe.

“Over here.” Jenna led him toward the registration counter. To the side of the long counter was the concierge's desk. Jenna couldn't help but stare at every man they passed and wonder if he was the assassin.

The gray-haired man with the handlebar mustache could be an undercover assassin. Who would suspect an older guy? And the mustache would make it hard to run facial-recognition software on him. He could be a highly experienced assassin with a long list of kills in his lifetime.

The man in the khaki slacks and pale blue polo shirt could be a master at blending in. Was he staring at them? Jenna tried not to stare back, watching him from the corner of her eye until they'd passed him. A shiver of awareness trickled down her back. Was he the one?

Intent on studying the man in the blue polo shirt, Jenna bumped into someone else. “Pardon me,” she said and scooted out of the way of a man with light brown hair and gray eyes. He wore jeans and a gray T-shirt and seemed slightly familiar, but not in a distinct way—more as if she'd seen a hundred similar guys before.

Her gaze shifted to the sandy-blond-haired gentleman wearing jeans, a button-up white shirt and cowboy boots. He could have learned to fire expertly on a ranch in west Texas. Jenna's imagination concocted all sorts of scenarios, and she didn't see the woman until she ran into her hard enough to knock her own purse out of her hand.

“I'm so sorry,” the woman said. “I can be pretty clumsy.” She dropped to her haunches to help Jenna retrieve the contents of her purse.

Jenna bent to gather a pen, a tube of lipstick and her luggage receipts. “No, it was my fault. I should watch where I'm going.” When she straightened, she smiled at the woman with the long dark hair pulled back in a neat, stylish ponytail.

She wore a tailored pantsuit in a soft cream color with a pale blue blouse beneath. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“I am.” Jenna slipped her purse strap over her shoulder.

“Whew. I didn't want to start my vacation off causing an injury. I hope you enjoy Cancún. I plan on it.” She smiled and walked away, stopping at a brochure stand near the excursion planner's table.

Sawyer cupped her elbow and led her toward the concierge's desk.

A man stood behind it, talking on a house phone. When they approached, he ended his call and set the handset on the base. “How can I help you?”

Jenna stepped forward. “My suitcase didn't arrive with me, and the airline assured me it would be sent on as soon as they found it. I don't suppose it's shown up?”

The concierge clicked on a computer keyboard, his head bent, his eyes skimming the screen. Then he glanced up. “We had a delivery over an hour ago, and I believe that's another arriving right now.” He nodded toward the door. “Do you have your claim ticket?”

She handed the claim ticket to the concierge and waited while he checked in a room behind him, coming out empty-handed. “It's not in the storage room, but let me check with the bellboy bringing in the latest arrivals' luggage.”

Before he finished speaking, a bellboy wheeled in a cart loaded with luggage. On top was a case just like the one back in the bridal suite with a sniper's rifle inside. “That might be the one. The hard-sided gray one with the chrome grip.” Jenna pointed to the case.

The bellboy grabbed it from the top and handed it to the concierge, who held the claim ticket up to the strip of paper looped around the handle and smiled. “This is your bag.”

Jenna resisted the urge to snatch the case and run. Instead, she smiled and handed the bellboy a tip. “Thank you.” With as much dignity as she could muster, she turned toward the elevator and walked, though her feet wanted to fly.

The elevator was already crowded, but several others entered the elevator with her and Sawyer. The man in the cowboy boots and the one with the blue polo shirt stepped into the car right before the doors closed. As more people crowded in, Jenna bumped into someone behind her.

A feminine chuckle sounded. “We have to stop meeting this way.”

Jenna turned in the tight space to find the brunette standing against the back of the elevator car.

“We're bound to since we're in the same hotel.” The woman held out a hand. “Hi. I'm Becca Smith.”

Jenna took her hand. “Jenna Broyles.”

Becca eyed Sawyer. Jenna opened her mouth to introduce him, but he beat her to it.

“I'm Mr. Broyles, Jenna's husband.” His lips turned up at the corners, causing her heart to flip. “We're still trying to get used to the fact we're married now.”

Becca's brows rose. “Oh, newlyweds.” She glanced at Jenna's hand. “Show me your ring. I'll bet it's gorgeous.”

Heat crawled up Jenna's neck, and she hid her hand behind her back.

Sawyer's arm slipped around her waist and pulled her close. “She had to leave it at the jeweler's. One of the prongs holding in a diamond came loose.”

“Yes,” Jenna said, relief making her gush a little too much. “I didn't want to lose a diamond on the trip. I thought it best to have it taken care of while I was gone.”

“Good thinking,” Becca said. She nodded toward the suitcase. “Only one suitcase between the two of you?”

Jenna laughed. “Hardly. This one was late.”

The elevator slid to a stop on the third floor, and the man in the blue polo shirt got off without having spoken a word or glancing in their direction the entire ride up.

One fewer suspect in the car with them didn't make Jenna any more relaxed.

Becca glanced down at the brochures in her hands. “Are you two planning any excursions? I was thinking of deep-sea fishing, parasailing or zip-lining.”

“I don't know about the fishing or parasailing,” Jenna responded. “But the zip-lining was okay.”

Sawyer snorted. “If you don't mind heights and plunging hundreds of feet down a cliff into the dark jungle.”

The brunette looked from Jenna to Sawyer and back. “I take it you two went and didn't enjoy it?”

Jenna shrugged. “The anticipation of a violent death was worse than the actual event.”

“You have no idea,” Sawyer muttered.

The bell dinged and Becca said, “This is my floor. I hope to bump into you again.” She edged her way through several others and exited.

The man in the cowboy boots got off on the next floor, stopped and turned back toward the elevator doors as they closed. He stared into the car, his eyes narrowing. Jenna could swear he was looking straight at her.

A shiver shook her frame as the elevator rose. People got out until she and Sawyer were the only two left to ride the rest of the way to the top floor.

Jenna held her comments until they stood outside the bridal suite. “I'm getting twitchy.”

Sawyer ran the key card over the reader. The green light flashed on, and he pushed the door open. “What do you mean?” he asked, holding the door for Jenna to enter.

He followed, letting go of the door. It closed, shutting them into the room, away from prying eyes and curious people. Once inside, he pulled off the cap and sunglasses, exposing his gorgeous dark brown eyes and rumpled brown hair.

Off balance because of his mere presence, Jenna put distance between them. “I couldn't read the people in the lobby.” She crossed the large living area and ducked into the bedroom.

“What people were you trying to read?” Sawyer followed her, stopping in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.

Jenna hefted her suitcase onto the bed and flicked open the clasps. With a sense of relief, she stared down at the beautiful clothes she'd purchased with Carly's help before the trip. For the past year, she'd scrimped and saved for the wedding and the honeymoon. And for what? Her groom ran off with her former best friend. Fortunately, they hadn't combined their bank accounts, or she might have been out all of her savings.