Protecting Summer (9 page)

Giggling, Summer told him, “That was a long, run-on sentence, Mozart.”

Mozart rolled his eyes and murmured, “That’s what I get for having the hots for a smart woman.” Then louder, he told her as he slowly got to his feet, “Get up. Shower. We have time to run and grab some breakfast at this kick ass little hole-in-the-wall café I found before we have to start cleaning.”

He pulled Summer to her feet and playfully shoved her toward the bathroom. “Go on, I’ll wait outside for you. If I stay in here while you’re naked in the shower, I’ll definitely break my promise.” Mozart kissed Summer once more hard, then headed for the door. As he opened it, he looked back and said, “You’ve got fifteen minutes, Sunshine. Better hurry.” He winked at her once more before shutting the door behind him softly.

Summer collapsed against the wall. She had no idea what Mozart saw in her or why he’d decided he wanted her, but she’d ride the ride for as long as she could. She’d be crazy not to. Shaking her head, she hurried to her suitcase on the floor and pulled out a pair of jeans, a long sleeved henley and undies, and headed back to the bathroom. Summer had no doubt that if she took longer than Mozart’s allotted fifteen minutes he’d be back in the room just as he’d warned.

She smiled. Keeping him on his toes would be fun.

Summer sat back in the booth and sighed. She’d just stuffed herself with the best omelet she’d ever eaten. Cheese, green peppers, bacon, fajita chicken, onions, tomatoes, and sausage, all smothered in more cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Mozart had ordered the special, which came with two eggs, bacon, sausage, and a small stack of pancakes.

“I don’t think I can move.”

“You can move. We’ve got rooms to clean, then shopping.”

“Shopping? For what?”

Mozart looked at Summer, knowing what he was going to say would piss her off, so he kept it as vague as he could. “Stuff you need.”

Summer crossed her arms over her chest, not buying his vague response. “Stuff I need? What kind of stuff?”

“Give me your hand.” Mozart put his hand on the table palm up.

“What?”
              “Give me your hand, Sunshine.”

Without thinking, Summer took one hand and reached across the table toward Mozart. When his voice got low like that and he ordered her around, something inside made her cave every time.

Mozart grabbed her hand tightly and put his other over hers. He learned forward as he spoke. “Stuff you need. A microwave. A hot plate, food. A warm jacket. Stuff. You. Need.” When Summer tried to pull her hand out of his, Mozart tightened his hold. “I know you don’t want to accept it. I know you feel bad and are embarrassed. But that’s not going to stop me. If I’m going to leave you up here, I have to know you’re eating. That you’re warm. That you’re okay.”

“Mozart, you got me a room to stay in. I’ll be fine.”

“You should’ve had that fucking room all along. I can’t go home, can’t go on my missions knowing you’re not eating. I can’t believe you lived in that fire-trap of a storage shed for as long as you did.”

Summer took a deep breath. Mozart was right. She was embarrassed as he’d said. She tried one more time. “Mozart, Henry hired a new handy-man, he’s working on making the building safer. He’s helped me out a lot. I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t see
him
living in a run-down shack with no bathroom or electricity. Where’s this handyman living? Where’s Henry living?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

Without giving Summer a chance to say anything else, Mozart said, “Exactly. They’re not living in that piece of shit. They’re eating three meals a day. They have warm clothes. They’re not you.”

They stared at each other for a long moment.

“I don’t like not being able to get those things for myself.” Summer finally said quietly.

Mozart sighed in relief. “Jesus, you think I don’t know that, Sunshine? You have ‘independent woman’ written all over you. But you don’t get that I want to do this for you. I need to do it. I wouldn’t care if you had a million dollars in the bank, I’d still want to give this to you.”

“If I had a million dollars in the bank we would’ve never met.”

Mozart just brought Summer’s hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. Then he turned it over and nipped the fleshy part of her palm. “Come on, Sunshine, we’ve got some rooms to clean.”

* * *

“You’re really good at this,” Summer told Mozart honestly when they were working on the last room for the day.

“I don’t mean to be a dick, but it’s really not that hard, Sunshine.”

Summer laughed. “Sorry, you’re right.”

“Besides, I’m single. I have to clean my own apartment and the Navy made sure I could make a bed so tight, a quarter would bounce off the sheets.”

Summer laughed again. “Obviously a good life-skill to have.” She smiled at Mozart. He’d made the job of cleaning the rooms fun. They’d talked while they’d cleaned and she’d gotten to know him a bit better. Summer learned he had a wicked sense of humor. Mozart could laugh at himself as well as make her see humor in situations that she might not have seen otherwise. Overall she really enjoyed spending time with him.

Summer stopped and stood still for a moment and looked at him. “Thank you, Mozart.”

Mozart heard the seriousness of Summer’s tone and turned to her. “For what?”

“For helping me today. For not freaking out about having to clean toilets or make beds or vacuum floors. For everything. Just…thank you.”

Mozart dropped the bundle of dirty towels he’d been carrying to the cart, and took Summer’s head in his hands and rested his forehead against hers. “You’re welcome.”

They looked into each other’s eyes for a beat, until Summer pulled away and looked away feeling awkward.

“Look at me, Sunshine,” Mozart ordered.

Summer immediately looked up into his eyes, not even questioning why she’d immediately done what he’d asked.

“Don’t ever feel embarrassed for telling me what’s on your mind. If you’re pissed, tell me. If you’re happy, I want to know. If you’re embarrassed, tired, hungry, sad…I want to know. Got me?”

Without breaking eye contact, Summer simply nodded.

“Okay then. Let’s finish cleaning this shithole and grab something to eat then get to the store. I’m in the mood to spoil you.”

“Okay.”

Cleaning the rest of the room took no time at all and soon they were stashing the cart in the back of the office building and the cleaning supplies in the storage room.

“Come on, Sunshine, let’s go. We have crap to buy.”

“I hope you know I’m not going to let you go overboard.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go.”

* * *

Summer sat on the edge of the bed and looked around in bemusement. Mozart had gone overboard. Nothing she’d said made any difference. He’d just ignored her protests and bought whatever he wanted to. There was a small microwave now sitting beside the television set. A dorm-room size refrigerator now stood, motor running, against the wall and there was food everywhere. Mozart had bought so much food, it was stacked around the room haphazardly. The small fridge was overflowing with enough food to keep her fed for at least two weeks.

Summer could tell Mozart was in a weird mood while they were shopping, so she hadn’t protested what he’d thrown in to the cart after the first time she’d tried. He’d turned to her and said gruffly, “Let me do this, Sunshine. I
need
to do this.” So she’d let Mozart do what it was he felt he needed to.

He’d sent her to the clothes section of the store and ordered her to find long sleeved shirts and pants, a jacket, and even underwear in her size. Mozart had threatened if she didn’t come back with what he thought was enough,
he’d
then go and find clothes for her. Summer took him at his word and brought back what she’d thought was way too many clothes. Mozart had only sighed and let it go with a, “that’ll do for now.”

Now they were in the room, and Summer felt awkward. She wasn’t used to anyone buying her things, well buying her things because she couldn’t afford it. She didn’t like the feeling. Mozart sat next to her on the edge of the bed and she saw him staring at the food they’d brought in.

“I don’t know if that’ll be enough,” he said morosely.

“Are you kidding?”

“No,” Mozart said in a flat voice, turning to her. “We’re headed out on a mission on Monday. I have no idea how long I’ll be gone, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to get back up here again. I know you don’t have a car so you can’t just run to the store to get anything if you run out.”

Summer put her hand on Mozart’s leg, then snatched it back when he flinched. Before she could say or do anything, he grabbed her hand and put it back on his leg. Mozart tilted his head in an invitation for her to say what it was she obviously wanted to say.

“I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty, or mad, or anything, okay?” When Mozart nodded, Summer continued. “Mozart, for the last few months I’ve been eating one meal a day. When Henry opens the office I head over there and eat a yogurt and a bagel. I typically snatch another bagel and a piece of fruit for later. Sometimes a guest will leave something in their room that I feel is safe to take for myself to eat. Trust me, all of this food…” She gestured around them, “…will last me a good long time.”

Summer watched as Mozart’s left hand curled into a fist and the muscle in his jaw clenched. Not wanting him to torture himself, she bought the hand not resting on his leg, up to his face and turned it toward her. Whispering, Summer said, “I’m okay, Mozart. You have no idea how much what you’ve done for me in the last two days means to me. If I was okay before, now I’m
more
than okay.”

Mozart took a deep breath and turned his head and kissed the palm of Summer’s hand. “You’ll never have to eat the fucking trash that someone leaves behind again. Just the thought…” he shuddered and closed his eyes for a moment.

Summer could tell when he’d gotten himself back under control. He opened his eyes and told her, “I’ll be back up here as soon as I can, Sunshine.”

“I know.”

“I know you don’t have a cell phone, but I’m going to leave you my number so you can call me whenever you want. I’ll call you here at the motel to let you know when I’ll be back up, but in the meantime, when I’m out of the country, if I give you a friend’s number will you call it if you need anything…and I mean anything?”

Summer stayed silent and just looked at Mozart.

“Shit. You won’t will you? I knew you were going to be a pain.” Mozart smiled when he said it, so Summer wasn’t offended. “Will you take the number for my peace of mind then? I’ll feel better if you have it.”

“Whose number is it?”

“His name is Tex. He’s a friend who lives in Virginia. He used to be a SEAL, but was medically retired after having his leg partially amputated. He’s a computer genius and I’d trust him with my life…or yours.”

“Leave me his number, Mozart. I can’t promise to call if I get a splinter or something, but if something goes seriously wrong I’ll call.” At the look of relief in Mozart’s eyes, Summer knew she’d said the right thing, even if it made her uncomfortable.

Mozart stood up and held his hand out to Summer. “Come on, Sunshine. Let’s climb in bed, there has to be a movie or something on television we can watch.”

Summer took Mozart’s hand and he led her to the bed. He didn’t pull back the covers, but helped her onto the bed and climbed in behind her. He pointed the remote at the TV and flipped through the channels until he came upon
True Lies
.

“I’ve always loved this movie. This okay?”

“Yeah, Jamie Lee Curtis kicks butt.”

Mozart laughed and settled back against the pillows and drew Summer into his side. She snuggled down against him and put her head against his chest. Mozart took a deep breath and inhaled her scent.

“You smell good.” He couldn’t have stopped the words to save his life.

“It’s just shampoo.”

“No, it’s not. It’s shampoo, and the orange you ate tonight as a snack when we got back to the room. It’s a hint of salt from your perspiration, it’s
you
Sunshine.”

Summer squirmed. She’d never had anyone talk to her like Mozart did. “You’re crazy.”

“Take the compliment, Summer. Say thank you.”

“Thank you.”

Mozart smiled at her and pulled her even closer. “Now, shhhh. Watch the movie.”

Summer tried to lose herself in the movie, but couldn’t. Her mind was jumping around and she couldn’t turn it off. Finally, she tipped her head up to ask Mozart a question, only to find him staring down at her, instead of at the TV.

“You’re going on a mission on Monday?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you tell me anything about it?” Summer didn’t think he could, but asked anyway.

“No.” After a minute or two of silence Mozart told her regretfully, “It’s what I do, Sunshine.”

Summer nodded immediately and tried to reassure him. “Oh, I know, Mozart. I don’t know much…okay, I don’t know anything about the military, but I know enough to know what you do is kept hush hush and that you can’t talk about it. I just…I just will worry about you.” She rushed to continue, “I know, it’s silly, I don’t really even know you, but I don’t like thinking about you heading off to some foreign country doing something dangerous and not knowing anything about where you are, what you’re doing, or when you’ll be back.”

Mozart sighed and turned to Summer. He leaned over until she was lying sideways on the bed and he was leaning over her. “I don’t like keeping things from you, but you have to know I can never tell you. It’s the hardest part of being with a SEAL. I wish I had time to introduce you to Ice, Alabama, and Fiona. They’re my teammates’ women. They’ve learned to deal with our missions by getting together and doing girl stuff. We know us leaving drives them crazy, but they support each other and help each other get through it. And you should know, the team knows what we’re doing. Yes, what we do is dangerous and there’s always the chance we’ll be hurt…” Mozart drew a finger over his scarred cheek, then continued, “but you have to believe in us. We’ve trained for this. We’re good, Sunshine. The fact that Wolf, Abe, and Cookie have their women waiting at home for them makes them even more determined that we all come home.” He stopped talking and stared down at the amazing woman under him.