Navy SEAL Survival (17 page)

Quentin appeared with the three blondes who'd been incarcerated in the basement. “I put in the call for our taxi service.”

“Good,” Duff said.

Kylie smiled at Natalie, tears trickling down her cheeks. “You were right. You got us out of there.”

Natalie shook her head. “I believe our own Navy SEALs saw to that.”

The Australian woman, Katherine, flung her arms around Duff's neck and laid a big kiss on both his cheeks. “Thank you so very much for coming to our rescue. Me mum will likely ask you to come visit us in Australia. You're more than welcome to stay with us.”

Duff chuckled. “Thank Quentin. He kept you safe while all hell broke loose.”

Katherine hugged Quentin's neck. “Already did. He promised me a date when we get back to Cancun. He also promised not to let me out of his sight.” She winked at him.

“I wish we could round up the buyers and throw them in jail,” Natalie said.

As they walked through the spacious marble-tiled hallway, Duff slipped an arm around Natalie's waist. “We'd have a hard time explaining our weapons to the authorities. My bet is those men are hightailing it back to whatever country they belong to.”

“What about Cassandra? We should at least take her back to the States and have her hit up with charges.” They stepped outside into the clear night air.

The thumping sound of helicopter rotors sounded overhead.

Sawyer ran up to them. “The female got away. Do you want me to shoot the helicopter out of the sky?”

Duff shook his head. “No, we need to get away from here before half of the Mexican government finds us.”

Already, the yachts in the cove were either backing out or turning, leaving as quickly as possible.

Rex Masters shoved Frank Jones into a dinghy and stepped in behind him. Montana climbed in, too. “I'm under orders to go with you and our interrogation subject.”

Duff chuckled, certain Montana would keep anything from happening to their prize captive.

The big SEAL dwarfed the boat as they puttered out to the waiting yacht. The thin, little man with the fedora stood at the bow, watching the activity in the cove.

Lance maneuvered the yacht into the cove. Sawyer took the DPD out to the yacht and returned with a dinghy. They ferried the women to the yacht and went back to collect their gear. Duff was one of the last to leave the island, glancing back at the mansion. So much more could have gone wrong. But didn't.

He would be more than happy to return to Cancun to finish his vacation in peace. It was hard to believe he still had almost a week and a half to relax on the beach. He hoped Natalie would spend that week and a half with him. After all that had happened in just a few days, he felt he knew her better than any other woman, but he wanted to know everything about her.

He and Sawyer climbed into the dinghy and headed to the yacht.

“I have to say this has been one of the least relaxing vacations I've ever been on. And that includes the time we all went to the dude ranch with Montana and herded cattle.”

“It has to get better from here. We got the women back. What else could go wrong?”

Sawyer smacked his palm to his forehead. “You had to ask.”

Chapter Sixteen

“I could get used to this lifestyle very easily.” Natalie stretched out in a lounge on the
Take Me Away
yacht owned by Mica Brantley, the woman Duff had mistaken for a man. As soon as they'd met up in Cancun, Mica had removed the fedora and shaken out her long, dark hair, surprising the SEALs.

She was Rex Masters's boss.

Duff, Natalie, Lance, Mica and Rex had spent the better part of the previous night interrogating Frank Jones.

Since his girlfriend had left him without batting an eyelash, Frank had been more than willing to share everything he knew about her. That wasn't much.

Cassandra Teirney wasn't even her name. She'd grown up on the streets, becoming adept at conning people. Her forte was stolen identities. One day she'd been caught stealing from someone who'd given her a choice. She either went to work for him or went to jail.

Of course she'd opted out of the jail scenario and had gone to work for the man who would become her benefactor.

Frank had snorted. “I thought she and I were a thing. I should have known better.”

“Who is her benefactor?” Mica asked.

Frank shrugged. “Hell if I know. She never mentioned his name. Money showed up when we needed it along with helicopters, vehicles, vans...whatever our operation called for. The man had an entire network of drug runners at his fingertips here in Mexico.”

“Why human trafficking?” Natalie asked, her voice hard, her gaze boring a hole into Frank. She still wanted to kill him, but the information he provided might help her find the people at the crux of the operation.

Frank glanced around at the people surrounding him. “You heard how much those men were willing to pay. It's insane. I never made that much in the army. Not even when I was selling guns to the enemy.”

“Bastard,” Rex said, between clenched teeth.

“Yeah, and you were so high and mighty?” Frank glared at Rex. “How many babies did you kill? How many innocent civilians died because you shot them or blew up their homes with them inside? What's the difference?”

Mica Brantley had stepped in. “Were there more women before these?”

Frank nodded. “They raised money on a regular basis. I came in on this operation when I met Cass in DC. We hit it off and scored some identity theft jobs together. Being members of the real-estate community made it easy. Then she turned me on to the more high-dollar games.”

Mica slapped her palm on the table in front of Frank. “The other women...where did they go?”

“I don't know. I didn't get involved until this round. You'll have to ask Cass.” He smirked. “Good luck finding her. She's a master of disguises.”

“We'll find her,” Lance said. He'd already been on the satellite phone with Royce. If anyone could find the woman, Royce could.

Natalie wanted to be in on the raid that brought Cassandra to justice.

But she was quickly realizing it wasn't just Cassandra. Her benefactor funded her gigs. He was the one they needed to find. The sooner the better.

Frank couldn't tell them anything more about Cassandra or her benefactor. But he wasn't getting away with the part he'd played in their human-trafficking venture.

Royce had sent two of his SOS agents and the SOS plane to collect Frank late in the night. The Mexican authorities never knew and couldn't interfere in justice being served to the former army ranger who'd betrayed his country.

Lance then had turned to Mica Brantley. “Why were you here and how did you get an invitation to the auction?”

“You might have heard of my husband, Trevor Brantley.”

Natalie had heard his name mentioned in the news. “Wasn't he the multimillionaire who was found dead in his mansion?”

Mica nodded and looked away, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “My husband had connections. And enemies. The connections got me into the auction, the enemies cost my husband his life. Those same enemies took my stepdaughter. I fear she was sold at a similar auction.” Mica glanced at Rex. “Rex has been helping in my effort to find her and bring her home.”

Natalie had fallen silent. If she could help this woman recover her stepdaughter, she would. If Royce would have her back, she'd ask if that could be her first assignment.

They'd split up, going their separate ways, each heading for a shower and bed. Natalie hadn't gotten the opportunity to say a proper good-night to Duff as they'd piled into taxis and returned to the resort in the early hours of the morning.

Natalie yawned in the bright light of day. None of them had had much sleep the night before. She'd been happy to sit up the rest of the night talking with Melody, bringing her up to speed on what had happened while she'd been imprisoned on Cozumel. Natalie told her sister about her former life as an agent for SOS and the role the organization had played in her rescue.

Mica Brantley had sent the invitation to join them that morning and they had been too curious to refuse, despite their lack of sleep.

“Would you like a Pain Killer?” Melody handed Natalie one of the fruity drinks packed with enough alcohol to make Natalie not care for a little while.

“I prefer beer, but thanks.” Natalie took the drink and downed half of it before she laid back and smiled. “So, are you going to stay with me for the next week and have that vacation you came here to enjoy?”

Melody shook her head. “I'm going back in the morning. I've had enough of Cancun. I don't feel safe here and I need to get back to school.”

Natalie sat up and leaned across, resting her hand on her sister's knee. “Do you want me to come back with you?”

Melody smiled. “No. I'll go with Kylie. We'll stick together like glue. She's as shaken as I am.” She tossed back her golden-blond hair and sighed. “But you don't have to leave so soon.” Her gaze shifted to the SEALs standing at the rail, staring out at the ocean, talking softly and drinking beer. “I know one person who would like you to stay.”

Natalie's cheeks heated. “I have to admit, I think I could get used to him, as well.”

“You know, it's about time you started living your life for yourself. In a year, I'll graduate college and move to some city where I'll live on my own. You can't always be there for me. I have to learn to live by myself.”

Natalie frowned. “But you're my only living relative. I care about you and want you to be safe.”

Melody crossed her arms over her chest. “And your job is all that safe?”

Natalie glanced away. “I won't go back to work for SOS if you don't want me to.”

Melody leaned toward her sister. “See? You're doing it again. I want you to do what
you
want to do. Not what you think
I
need. Before you know it, life will pass you by and you'll only have regrets. If working for SOS makes you happy, do it. I'm just sorry you didn't tell me about it sooner.”

Natalie stared at her sister for a long time, then nodded. “I'm glad you feel that way. I've missed the work. I like making a difference.”

Melody sat straighter and gave Natalie a direct look. “Then you won't be upset when I tell you I'm applying to the FBI. I hope to get accepted and start as soon as I graduate.”

Natalie's gut clenched but then she relaxed. “If it makes you happy, I say do it.” They hugged and laughed.

Melody glanced toward Duff's back. “You know, if things work out between you and Dutton, I wouldn't mind having another relative in the family.”

Natalie shook her head. “We've only just met.”

“Uh-huh. And I can feel the chemistry between you already.” Melody held up her hands. “Just saying, you shouldn't rule out the possibilities.”

Natalie's lips quirked. “Oh, I haven't.” She rose from the lounge. “I just have to find a way to get him alone.”

Duff turned at that moment and held out his hand.

Natalie placed her hand in his bigger one, liking the way he made her feel all soft and feminine.

He lifted her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to the tips. “Ready to head back? I'd like to take you out to dinner and dancing.”

She let him pull her into his arms. They swayed to the rhythm of the ocean. Natalie laid her head on his chest, loving the contrast of his smooth skin and hard muscles. “I'm ready.”

Ready for the infinite possibilities of what the night held in store. Ready to grab each day and live it as though it might be her last. And more than ready to let a man have a chance at stealing her heart.

“By the way, what are you doing when we get back Stateside?” Duff asked. “Two weeks with you just doesn't seem to be nearly enough. Hell, a lifetime might be too short.”

Natalie's heart swelled and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You're willing to take the risk? You know what I'll be doing for a living.”

“It goes both ways, sweetheart. Until I can't do it anymore, I belong to the Navy SEALs. If you're up for the challenge of dating a SEAL, you're up for practically anything.”

“Oh, I'm up for it.”

Duff swung her off her feet and planted a kiss on her lips. Then he stared around. “Where's that dinghy? We have a date to get to.”

* * * * *

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WHAT
HAPPENS
ON THE RANCH

USA TODAY
Bestselling Author

Delores Fossen

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter One

A
NNA
M
C
C
ORD
FIGURED
she had committed a couple of sins, maybe even broken a few laws, just by looking at the guy in the bed. He was naked, so it was hard not to have dirty thoughts about him.

Drool, too.

Mercy, he was hot.

Thick blond hair all tousled and bedroomy. Lean and muscled. At least what she could see of him was muscled anyway. He was sprawled out on his stomach, his face cocooned in the fluffy feather pillows of the guest bed. He reminded her of a Viking just back from a good pillaging, minus the bed and feather pillows, of course.

But who was he?

Even though she should have bolted out of there the moment she opened the guest room door and saw a partially exposed butt cheek, Anna stayed put. Someone had obviously glued her feet to the floor. Glued her eyeballs to the hot guy, too.

She glanced around the room and spotted a clue as to who he was. There was a military uniform draped over the back of a chair and a duffel bag on the floor near the bed.

Anna didn't actually need more clues to know he was an Air Force officer and likely a friend that her brother Riley had brought home. But she also saw the dog tags. The ball chain holding them was still around the hot guy's neck, but the tags themselves were lying askew on the bed like smashed nickels.

Maybe he sensed she was there, because he opened an eye, and the seconds trickled by before it must have registered in his mind that he had a woman ogling him.

He made a grunting sound mixed with some profanity and rolled over, no doubt because that was the fastest way he could reach the sheet to cover himself. However, the rolling over gave her a view of his front side.

Definitely more dirty thoughts.

“Sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here,” Anna said, as if that explained the gawking. The drool. The long, heated look that she was giving him.

But both the heated stuff and the drool came to a quick halt when Anna got a better look at his face. “Heath?”

He blinked. “Anna?”

Good gravy. It was Heath Moore, all right. Well, a grown-up Heath anyway. The last time she'd seen him had been nine and a half years ago when he was barely eighteen, but he had filled out a lot since then.

Oh, the memories she had of him came flooding back.

He'd been naked then, too—for part of those memories anyway, since she'd lost her virginity to him. Though she certainly hadn't seen as much of him during that encounter in the hayloft as she'd just witnessed. He had filled out
everywhere
.

He sat up, dragging the sheet over his filled-out parts, and still blinking, he yawned and scrubbed his hand over his face. More memories came. Of his memorable mouth. The equally memorable way he'd kissed her.

She fanned herself like a menopausal woman with hot flashes.

“Why are you here?” she asked at the same moment that Heath asked, “Why are you here?”

Anna figured he was going to have a lot better explanation than she did. “I thought I might have left a book in here,” she told him.

A total lie. She had been in search of a book that the housekeeper, Della, had said she'd left in her room on the nightstand. But when Anna had seen the guest room door slightly ajar, she'd opened it and had a look.

She made a show of glancing around for a book that had zero chance of being there since it was all the way at the end of the hall.

“This is your room now?” Heath asked.

“No. But I come in here sometimes. For the view.” Anna motioned to the massive bay window. She wouldn't mention that every bedroom on the second floor had similar windows, similar views. As did her own room on the first floor.

Heath glanced in the direction of the bay window as if he might get up to sample that view, but his next glance was at his body. Considering he was naked under the sheet, he probably didn't want to get up until she'd left, and that was her cue to leave. First though, she wanted an answer to her question.

“Why are you here?” she repeated.

“Riley. He saw me at the base in San Antonio and said I needed some...R & R before I left on assignment. He was headed back here to the ranch to finish out his leave, and he asked me to come.”

All of that made sense because Riley, too, was an Air Force officer and had indeed been at the base the day before. Yes, it made sense except for Heath's hesitation before R & R.

“You weren't here last night when I went to bed.” She would have noticed Heath, that's for sure.

“We stopped for a bite to eat, then to visit some mutual friends, and we didn't get in until late. We didn't want to wake anyone up so Riley just sent me here to the guest room.” Heath paused. “Riley's my boss.”

Uh-oh. That wouldn't play well with Riley if he found out about her lustful thoughts over his subordinate. It wouldn't play well with Heath, either, since he probably didn't want to do or think anything—or have
her
do or think anything—that would cause his boss to hit him upside the head with a shovel.

A threat that Riley had first rattled off nine and a half years ago when he thought a romance was brewing between Heath and her.

If Riley had known what had gone on in the hayloft, he might not have actually carried through on the shovel threat, but Anna would have never heard the end of it.

And there was that whole underage-sex thing.

When Heath had first started working at the ranch, he'd been eighteen. But she'd been only seventeen. Riley and her other brothers had made a big deal about the attraction they'd sensed going on between Heath and her.

The term
jail bait
had been thrown around.

Since Heath had been making a big deal of his own about going into the military, it was an issue. Heath wanted to go into special ops, which would have required a lengthy background check for a top-secret clearance, and Riley had brought up her age for the sole purpose of scaring Heath into keeping his jeans zipped.

It had worked. Until the day Anna turned eighteen, that is. After that, she'd made the trip to the hayloft with Heath, and she had the memories of the orgasm to prove it.

Heath smiled at her, but it felt as if he'd had to rummage it up just to be polite. Again, the nudity was probably driving that. But the nudity didn't stop him from looking at her with those sizzling blue eyes. Also bedroomy like his hair. He slid his gaze from her head to her toes, lingering in the middle. Lingering especially on her breasts. Perhaps because she was wearing a T-shirt and no bra.

“Riley didn't mention you'd be here at the ranch,” Heath said.

“Oh? Well, usually I leave the day after Thanksgiving, but I decided to stay a little longer.” Since it was already two days after Thanksgiving, she probably hadn't needed to add that last part. “I'm in law school at University of Texas, but I finished my courses early this semester. I'm also planning a transfer. I need a change of scenery...or something.”

And a life.

And perhaps sex, but she'd only gotten that idea when she'd seen Heath naked.

“Yeah, a change of scenery,” he repeated, as if he were aware of what she meant by the
or something
.

“So, how long will you be here?” Anna tried to keep her eyes directed just at his face, but her gaze kept drifting a bit to that incredibly toned chest. Either he'd gotten very good with contouring body paints or the man had a six-pack.

“Until the cows come home,” he said.

That's when she realized both her eyes and her mind had seriously drifted off, and she didn't have a clue what he'd been talking about before that.

The corner of his mouth lifted. A dreamy smile, and he hadn't had to rummage up this one. It was the real deal.

“I'll be here about two weeks,” he said. Probably repeated information. “How about you?”

“Two weeks. More or less. I was going to stay until the final exams were over and the campus was less busy. Then, the plan was to talk to my advisor about the transfer.”

“For that change of scenery or something?” Heath made it sound like a question.

Anna pretended not to hear it. No need to get into all that. Instead, she glanced at his left hand, the one part of his body she'd failed to look at during her gawking. No ring.

“I'm not married,” Heath volunteered. “Never have been.” He looked at her left hand, too, where she was still wearing the opal ring her Granny Ethel had left her.

Anna shook her head. “No I-do's for me, either.” Close, though, but best not to get into that after her change-of-scenery slip. “So, catch me up on what you've been doing.”

“Maybe I can do that after I've put on some clothes? Or we can talk like this?” Another smile.

He was flirting with her, a ploy she knew all too well since she'd been on the receiving end of his flirting that summer. Well, she could flirt, too.

“I guess I can restrain myself for a quick catch-up,” she joked. “A
quick catch-up
,” she emphasized. “What are you doing these days? I mean, other than sleeping naked, that is. How's the job going?”

The smile faded, and she was sorry she'd taken the conversation in that direction. Of course, it was something a normal nondrooling woman would have asked the man who had been her first.

Even though it was a dumb-as-dirt thing to do, she went closer. Much closer. And she sat down on the bed. Not right next to him, though, because she didn't want to move into the dumber-than-dirt category, but it was still too near him. Six miles would have been too near.

“Sorry,” she added. “Didn't mean to hit a nerve. And I should have known better because Riley doesn't like to talk about his assignments, either. I think he believes it'll worry me, but whether he talks about it or not, I still worry.”

“You shouldn't. Riley's been on plenty of deployments and hasn't gotten a scratch. Some guys are just bulletproof, and Riley's one of them.”

Maybe. But Anna had a bad feeling about this deployment coming up. A bad feeling she definitely didn't want to discuss with Heath. Or Riley. If she didn't mention it aloud, maybe the feeling would go away. Maybe the danger would as well, and her brother would come back with his bulletproof label intact.

“You okay?” Heath asked.

That was a reminder to push aside her fears and get on with this catch-up conversation. “Riley always says if he tells me about his job, he'll have to hit me with a shovel afterwards. Riley really likes that shovel threat.”

“I remember.” Heath took a deep breath, causing the muscles in his chest and that six-pack to respond. “Well, shovels aside, I can tell you that I just finished up a deployment in a classified location where there was a lot of sand, followed by eight months in Germany where there was a lot of paperwork. That's where Riley became my boss. Small world, huh?”

Yes. Too small, maybe. “Riley and you are in the same career field?”

“For now.” The short answer came out so fast. As did his hand. He brushed his fingers over the ends of her hair. Even though he didn't actually touch skin or anything, it was enough of a distraction. “Your hair is longer,” he said.

“Yours is shorter.” And yes, she achieved dumber-than-dirt status by touching his hair, as well. Since it was on the short side, she also touched some skin.

She felt everything go still, and even though Anna was pulling back her hand, it seemed to be in slow motion. The only thing that was in the revving-up mode was this flamethrower attraction that had always been between Heath and her.

“Yeah,” he drawled. No other words were necessary. They were on the same proverbial page along with being on the same actual bed. The flamethrower had had a go at him, too.

“I, uh...” Anna stuttered around with a few more words and syllables before she managed to say something coherent. “This could be trouble.”

“Already is.” He drawled that, too. Hitched up another smile.

The past nine and a half years just vanished. Suddenly, Anna was eighteen again and was thinking about kissing him. Of course, she hadn't needed vanishing years for that to happen, but it was as if they were back in that hayloft. On all that warm, soft hay. Heath had taken things so slow. Long kisses. His hand skimming over various parts of her body.

Then, into her jeans.

That had been the best part, and it'd all started with a heated look like the one he was giving her now.

Even though they didn't move, the foreplay was in full swing. His gaze lingered on her mouth. She picked up the rhythm of his breathing—which was too fast. Ditto for her heartbeat. Everything was moving in sync.

“Anna, we're playing with fire,” he whispered. It was a drawl, too.

She was near enough to him now that his breath hit against her mouth like a kiss. “Yes,” she admitted, but she was in the “fire pretty” mindset right now, and she inched closer, her drifting gaze sliding from his mouth to his abs.

“Is it real?” she asked, but was in the wrong mindset to wait for an answer. She touched that six-pack.

Oh, yes. Definitely real.

It probably would have been a good time to snatch back her hand and be outraged that she'd done something so bold, but she kept it there a moment and saw and heard Heath's reaction. He cursed under his breath, and beneath the sheet his filled-out part reacted, as well.

He cursed some more, but it was all aimed at himself. “I really do need you to leave now so I can get dressed. Once I can walk, that is. Maybe you can shut the door behind you, too.”

That caused the past nine and a half years to unvanish. Heath was putting a stop to this. As he should.

Anna was about to help with that stopping by getting to her feet and doing something that Heath clearly would have trouble doing right now—walking. But before she could budge an inch, she saw the movement in the doorway.