PTSD was something he’d struggled with since the mission that broke up his first SEAL team, and he knew the fear and anxiety could be triggered out of nowhere. He wanted to help her heal, not do anything to make her relive the assault. As far as he was concerned, there was no time frame on their physical relationship, if it happened at all. He wanted her but he wasn’t going to assume anything. If they came together it would need to be Jane’s decision.
As the plane slowed toward the terminal gate, he could feel Jane’s muscles grow tighter beside him. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if she was okay, but she turned to him first.
“I’m a little anxious,” she breathed.
“What can I do to help?” He straightened his shoulders and took a deep, expansive breath. The way she freely admitted how she was feeling made him feel so damn good.
Her shoulders relaxed a fraction. “What you just did. Most people would immediately say there’s nothing to worry about. You asked what you could do to help. That right there is all I need. I know I’m safe with you. I’ve met Red and Thalia. Spent time with them in the hospital. They’re lovely people.”
“Red texted me earlier and said Thalia was so excited to come get you, he brought her to the airport this morning.” He chuckled. “Apparently they’ve made a day out of it between going to lunch, shopping, and watching the planes fly in and out.”
“That feels good,” she said.
God what he would give to investigate her past. The thing was, he wanted it all straight from the source and that meant waiting until she was ready to open up completely. “Having real friends who have your back does. You can let them in. Neither of them will let you down.”
“Can I kiss you again?”
“Yes.” He wanted to tell her she could kiss him anytime but held back. He didn’t want her to assume that meant he expected to take the same liberties with her.
The pads of her fingers rested on his jaw, thumbs skimming over the beard he’d grown in the hospital. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she murmured, eyes never leaving his. Then she leaned in and kissed him. Soft and so fucking sweet it made an ache bloom in his chest.
“I am because of you,” he said when they broke apart.
The sudden chorus of buckles being unlatched snapped through the cabin and he realized the plane had stopped. They stood up and Jane helped him retrieve his crutches. He was supposed to keep the weight off his leg for now and slowly regain his strength in physical therapy. They’d taken about three steps into the airplane terminal when Thalia’s voice rang over the crowd.
“Jane! Sully! We’re over here.” Her green eyes were lit with excitement. Red must’ve seen it too, because he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.
“Can’t believe you went through security to come up to the gate,” Sully said, glancing at his teammate. Red looked at ease in a way he’d never seen before, and he was sure that had absolutely everything to do with having Thalia in his life.
“I thought you might need help navigating through this place on crutches, so I applied for a gate pass.”
“Thank you so much for coming to get us, and for thinking of a gate pass,” Jane said with wide eyes as Thalia tugged her into a hug. It struck him how surprised Jane appeared when Red mentioned taking the extra steps to apply for a gate pass to assist him. He hated the thought that she hadn’t had supportive friends or family who would do something like that for her. Sully was nearly desperate to show this woman what it was like to have both. The women began talking as they walked toward the baggage claim, and when Jane cast a look over her shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile, his resolve to give this woman everything solidified deep in his soul.
Chapter Thirteen
When they madeit out of the airport and into Red’s SUV, she opted to sit in the back with Thalia to catch up. Palm trees blurred past as they took the highway out of San Diego. Blue skies stretched overhead and even though Thalia had mentioned it was a short drive to the Coronado Bridge, she was still surprised by how quickly it came up. The San Diego Bay stretched silver and blue beneath the curved concrete structure. As they drove, Thalia pointed out several cruise ships out the driver’s side window, then sail boats moored in the water on the other side. Red told her about the naval base with its eight military facilities, one of which the men trained at. As they exited the bridge, the road flattened, and palm trees stood sentry in front of residential homes and condominiums.
“We can take the trolley downtown and do some exploring.” Sully grinned at her from the front. “Spend an afternoon at the beach or biking along the Silver Strand.”
“I’m looking forward to all of it, once your doctor clears you for physical activity.” Jane couldn’t get enough of Sully’s warm, wide grins.
His phone rang, and he broke their gaze to look down at the screen. “Shit. Bentley’s calling me.” The carefree expression was replaced by something darker, and the pain in his eyes was a punch to the gut. She hated the thought that Bentley might’ve been eager for someone as compassionate and honorable as Sully to die just so he could have the life insurance policy to clean up a mess he’d made. She couldn’t imagine how Sully felt about their suspicions. Jane couldn’t take her eyes off Sully. Hismuscles seemed to clench and cord beneath his shirt, the planes of his face hardened, and his jaw ticked as he froze in place, staring down at the ringing device.
Finally, he held the phone up to his ear. Red slowed the car and pulled over on the side of the road. He killed the engine and shifted in his seat.
“Hey, Bentley.” Sully’s voice was far calmer and more collected than his outward appearance. “Yeah, I’ve been discharged.”
Her scalp tingled and heat rushed through her. She couldn’t hear a word Bentley was saying, but that didn’t stop the anger from flushing through her. He should be back in Las Vegas with his tail tucked between his legs. A court of law would say innocent until proven guilty, but she’d seen the gleam in his eye when he left Sully’s ICU room. The way he demanded they all leave the hospital to get lunch. She pressed her teeth together as the conversation continued.
“No, I’m not up for visitors. Besides, the four-hour drive from Vegas would be a total waste. I’ll be in and out of appointments for the next few weeks.”
She felt like jumping out of her seat and flinging the phone onto the sandy sidewalk. The car was silent as Sully listened to whatever Bentley was saying. It wasn’t long before something dangerous flashed over his face. “Why?” he barked.
She strained to make out what Bentley was saying, but the conversation was muffled.
“That’s funny.” The words sounded pulled from somewhere deep in Sully’s throat. “Especially because she was at my side the entire time at the hospital. Do me and the rest of our family a favor, yeah? Get your shit straightened out.” Sully took the phone away from his ear and tapped the screen, ending the call.
“Apparently, Bentley called the hospital this morning to see how I was doing and the attending nurse told him my care had been transferred to a different medical facility closer to home.”
