Despite the churning in my stomach, the memory of her taking care of me last night brings on a strange sensation of need.
I need her—now.
She blinks at me, her brow pinching in concern. “How do you feel?” she whispers.
I’m guessing I don’t look so hot, if my memory of brawling with Garrison actually happened.
“Never better.” I reach up to touch the cut on my lip, tasting fresh blood as it cracks open with the movement.
She props herself up slightly on an elbow, revealing the strap of a silky red tank top. She’s sexy in anything, but this look might be my favorite so far. I wonder if I can engage in any physical activities in my current state.
“Do you want some ice?”
I shake my head, reaching under the covers for her. She sucks in a breath as my fingers make contact with her thigh, gripping the space right below her butt. I pull her toward me, and she doesn’t resist. A thought in the back of my head is telling me to keep her at a distance, but I’m exhausted from fighting my desire.
“Let’s go surfing.”
She squints her eyes, a smirk forming on her lips. “Don’t you think you’d vomit all over yourself out there?”
“No.”
She looks doubtful, so I guess I’ll just have to prove it to her. If I can surf right now, I can do other things.
I reach over and grab my phone off the nightstand. As I roll to a sitting position, I start to regret the decision as the nausea forces me to the bathroom to be sick. I empty the contents of my stomach, but it makes me feel so much better.
As I brush my teeth, I observe the purple skin, complete with a black eye on the side, a split lip, and blood crusted and drying on my knuckles. My ribs are definitely bruised, but I experienced worse in the field. Actually, the last fight I got into with Garrison was worse than this.
This weekend is the first time I’ve seen him since then. I still don’t think I can go to their wedding today. Maybe after last night, Fallon won’t want me there. She knows I detest Garrison—even if she doesn’t know why. Surely, she’ll forgive me. I’vewanted to tell her the truth, but it will only put her in danger. Classified information puts a target on your head in my world.
Guilt pools in my gut at how I ruined her rehearsal dinner by attacking her fiancé. I wonder if this will be the last straw for our relationship.
I tap on my phone screen to see if Kate got any messages last night. My muscles tense as I see photos of me and the SEAL Team, followed by an article about Reid.
Who did they come from?
She’s clearly working with someone, most likely a hacker. The small town’s article about Reid shouldn’t exist anymore. I clench my jaw as the last shred of evidence I needed seems to have fallen into place.
You should take her out now. Can you?
A gentle knock sounds on the bathroom door, and I swing it open to see Kate in an emerald-green bikini with tiny white flowers on it. She has a sheer green skirt tied around it, barely covering any of her skin.
“Are you okay?” She blinks up at me, twisting a piece of her hair.
I nod, observing the slight golden hue to her skin that she must have gotten from being in the sun yesterday.
Her body has perfect proportions, perky breasts dipping into a slim waist. She’s got the classic hourglass frame with just enough fullness to be soft. So much sexier than the thin who usually attempt to talk to me when I’m with Fallon.
She’s acting. Everything about her is designed to entice you.
“You know, I’m not exactly coordinated,” she says, walking into the bathroom and grabbing her toothbrush.
“You’ll be fine. It’s not as hard as it looks.”
“That sounds like something an ex-Navy SEAL would say.”
My body stiffens at the words, but she doesn’t seem to notice. I walk into the bedroom, blood pumping in my ears.
She slipped. She’s not supposed to know that.
