SEAL’s Desire (12 page)

The man’s eyes widened when he saw what was going on and his cheeks flushed an angry red. He drew his gun and stepped back.

Seeing his chance slipping away and still too far away from the man to get there on time, Remy threw himself into a slide like a baseball player sliding into home. With his feet in front of him, he hit the man’s ankles, knocking his legs out from under his body.

The man fell sideways, hit his head on the doorframe and stayed down.

Remy bounced back on his feet and dove over the downed man into the room.

A woman screamed.

Rolling to the side, Remy came up, pointing his handgun at the men advancing on him.

“Eyes right, Remy!” Mitchell shouted.

His gaze cut to the right. Too late. A man kicked the gun out of his hand and it flew across the room under a chair. The same man reared back to kick him again.

This time Remy was ready. He grabbed the man’s leg and yanked hard. The guy fell flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him.

Another man flew at Remy.

At the last second, Remy stepped to the side, his gaze sweeping the room.

The man missed and crashed into the wall.

Tuck, Swede, Fish and Irish entered the room, guns drawn.

“Put down your weapons or someone will get hurt,” Tuck said.

“That’s right. Someone is going to get hurt.” Candi, the redheaded dancer from the Naughty Ladies Lounge, held a gun to Mitchell’s temple while Rocco pinched her arms behind her back. The woman snorted. “That’s right. Put them down or this bitch dies.”

“We don’t negotiate with terrorists or human traffickers,” Irish said.

“Then you won’t miss her.” Candi pressed the gun harder and Mitchell’s head tilted away.

Mitchell’s body went limp. Rocco struggled to hold onto her as she slid toward the floor. When her head cleared the barrel of the weapon Candi held on her temple, Mitchell kicked. Her foot flew up in the air with those impossibly shiny, thigh-high boots. The sharp toe of the boot caught Candi’s arm, flinging it upward.

A shot rang out, and then the gun flew through the air to crash on the ground in front of a group of men crowded near the back of the room, hands raised.

“Touch that gun and I’ll blow your head off,” Remy warned.

“We don’t want trouble,” one of the men said.

“Too late, you’ve already got it.” Irish advanced three feet and pointed his AR15 at the men.

Mitchell rolled out of Rocco’s reach and pulled Kelli into her arms, shielding her. She turned to Candi and Rocco. “You two will never ruin another human being’s life ever again.”

Seeing her safely away from harm allowed him a moment’s relief. Remy’s gaze met Mitchell’s and his heart swelled with the love he felt for her. She was one of the toughest and yet most sensitive and caring women he knew. No other woman had touched him as deeply as Mitchell. He’d be lucky to have her in his life. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to help a friend in need. Only he didn’t want to be just friends, he wanted more.

Despite the nature of their jobs, they could make it work. Couldn’t they? He didn’t know how he’d do it, but somehow he had to convince Mitchell they were meant to be together.

“The cavalry is here,” Nacho’s voice spoke in Remy’s ear. “I’ll brief them and bring them in while Big Bird holds down the rooftop.”

“Roger,” Remy replied.

Before long, the NCIS, FBI and local police swarmed over the warehouse. Ambulances lined the road outside and the women were loaded and taken to local hospitals for a full evaluation.

Candi and Rocco were led away in handcuffs, the law enforcement officers reading them their rights.

After giving her statement to her boss and the FBI, Mitchell climbed into the ambulance with Kelli and rode to the hospital.

Time dragged, and she hadn’t seen Remy since he’d stormed into that room where she and Kelli had been placed on display for sale to the highest bidder. And she missed him. But the women who’d been held captive had to be taken care of first. How many other women had not been as lucky to escape being sold into sexual slavery? Mitchell prayed the authorities could trace them and return them to their homes.

At the hospital, Mitchell and Kelli were checked and released with a stern warning to drink lots of fluid to flush any of the remaining drugs from their systems.

“You know you don’t have to take me home.” Kelli stood in the lobby of the Emergency Room, a blanket draped over her shoulders. “I can get there on my own. I know you’re late for your hot date with that Navy SEAL.”

“It can wait.” Mitchell could think of nothing she’d like better than to see Remy and snuggle up to him in bed, but she wouldn’t abandon the woman who’d spent the past week in captivity. “I don’t want to leave you alone the first night back.”

“Thanks.” Kelli hugged her. “But I’m okay. Just glad to be out of that hell hole.”

“Let me call a cab. My car is at the lounge. I can get it tomorrow.”

“You ladies need a ride?” A deep, and familiar, voice called out behind Mitchell.

Mitchell spun, her heart leaped into her throat and tears welled in her eyes.

Remy stood with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a huge heart-shaped box of chocolates in the other. “Seems to me, you owe me a date.”

A tear slipped down her cheek and she brushed it away. “I believe I do. But I can’t leave Kelli alone after all that’s happened.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. But I have a solution for you both.” A grin stole across his face.

“You do?” Mitchell and Kelli said at once.

Remy nodded as he stepped closer. “The team is over at Irish’s apartment, next door to mine. They’re too wound up to sleep, and will be up all night with a John Wayne movie marathon. Irish has a spare bedroom with clean sheets. I thought Kelli might feel safe with a bunch of SEALs guarding her bedroom door. And if she can’t sleep, she can join the guys.” He tilted his head. “What do you say, Kelli? Mitchell will be next door.”

“Oh, I will?” Mitchell cocked a brow. “Since when do you make my decisions for me?”

He held up his offerings. “I brought bribes.”

With the box of chocolates and the flowers, he looked so damned adorable, Mitchell couldn’t hold the stern look long. She turned to Kelli.

“I don’t think I could sleep alone in my apartment. Having my own guards outside my door appeals to me.” Kelli nodded. “I’d love to, as long as I can get a long hot shower and clean clothes.”

“Done.” Handing the flowers to Kelli and the chocolates to Mitchell, Remy performed a sharp about-face then offered his arms to both women and escorted them to his waiting SUV.

The drive to the apartment complex took far longer than Mitchell could remember as she sat on the edge of her seat, her body already on fire with the need to be close to Remy, naked and making love. By the time they pulled into the parking lot of his apartment, every nerve was hopping beneath her skin. When he helped her down from the SUV, his hand on her arm sent a series of electric shocks racing through her all the way to her core, and a flush of heat spread outward. Tonight, the timing would be perfect.

Helping Kelli down from the SUV, Remy once again offered his arms to escort them into the building and up to Irish’s apartment. He pressed Mitchell’s hand against his side, hardly able to wait to get her alone.

The guys jumped to their feet when Kelli and Mitchell entered and introduced themselves one by one.

“If you should need me to chase the monsters out from under your bed…” Irish pointed to his chest, “I’m your man.”

“Don’t let him fool you.” Swede pushed Irish aside. “He’s afraid of his own shadow. I’ll be there if you so much as sneeze. No one will get past me.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about bad guys sneaking past us. We’ll take care of you,” Dustman promised.

Kelli laughed. “I’m more worried about getting a shower right now than anything else. And is that pizza?” She stared at the open boxes littering the counter in the kitchen.

“You bet, it is. We saved you some.” Big Bird scrounged through the boxes, tossing one after the other into the trash until he located a box still containing pizza and held it up, proudly. “See?”

“Great.” Kelli turned to Mitchell with a smile. “I’m getting a shower, eating pizza and sleeping until noon tomorrow. I’ll be fine with these guys.”

Mitchell frowned and cast a concerned glance over her shoulder at the room full of men. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Kelli hugged her and whispered loud enough for Remy to hear, “And I want all the juicy details tomorrow.” She winked at him, making his neck and cheeks heat.

Mitchell laughed, let go of her friend and stepped into the curve of Remy’s arms. “Then goodnight.” She turned and practically yanked Remy’s arm out of his socket racing for the door.

“Remy, don’t do anything we wouldn’t do?” Swede called out.

“Mitchell, if you get bored with him, I’m younger, in better shape and have a lot more stamina,” Irish yelled.

“Shut up.” Remy pulled the door closed behind him and tugged Mitchell into his arms. “We don’t have to leave Kelli if it bothers you.”

Mitchell wrapped her arms around his neck. “She’s safe and she knows where to find me if she gets scared. Though that would be hard to do with those SEALs in the next room.” She laughed. “I really was looking forward to that date with you.”

“I was more worried about you. And now that you’re safe…” He closed the distance, his mouth hovering over hers. “Seems we skipped right past the date thing the other night.” He raised his chin and pressed his mouth to her forehead and the tip of her nose. “Want to start over?” His lips closed over hers and he deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue past her teeth to slide along the length of hers.

“Mmm. Dating is overrated,” she said into his mouth, teasing his tongue with hers.

“How do you feel about foreplay?”

She shoved his shirt over his head. “An absolute necessity. And, oh, about that spanking the other night…”

A flash of guilt washed over him. Sometimes, he didn’t know his own strength and he had really gotten into the role playing. “Was I too rough?”

“Just the opposite.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hallway to his apartment. “Make it sting a little more. That makes me even hotter.”

Her words made all his blood rush south. Once inside, with the door shut, Remy pulled the faux leather jacket off her shoulders and tossed it over the lounge chair. “You’re keeping the outfit, aren’t you?”

“It belongs to the Naughty Ladies Lounge,” she said, untying the stings holding the corset together in front.

“And the owner will be in jail. I’m pretty sure the lounge won’t remain open.”

Mitchell paused, the strings wrapped around her fingers. “What will happen to Dixie Lee? She won’t be able to afford her rent.” Her brows wrinkled into a frown.

“We’ll look into it tomorrow.” He took over the unlacing of her corset, making quick work of it and stretching it wide enough to pull over her head.

Once free of it, she sucked in a deep breath and plumped her breasts with a groan. “I could barely breathe in that thing.”

Remy bent to capture one of the tips between his teeth, rolling it over his tongue before he sucked it fully into his mouth.

Mitchell’s head dropped back, exposing the long glorious line of her neck.

“Sorry, but foreplay is about to be over.” Remy scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He stripped the G-string down her legs, leaving her wearing only the thigh-high black shiny boots.

“Are you going to help me out of these?” she asked, leaning forward to search for the long zipper.

“No.” He grabbed her hands and held them. “I’m really liking you like this. If you can’t keep the outfit, I’ll buy you another just like it.”

She backed onto the bed, crossing one long booted leg over the other. “Like it, huh?”

“Oh, yeah.” Blood pounded in his ears.

“Guess you’ll have to show me how much.” With a wink, she kicked one boot into the air.

Remy shucked his trousers and boots and stretched out on the bed beside her, his hand traveling up one of her calves to her thigh and the curve of her hip. He parted her legs and slid his hand along the inside of her thigh, gently brushing his fingers across her skin. God, she was beautiful.

Sighing, she spread her legs wider and cupped his hand, drawing it up to her center. “I thought you’d never get here.” Guiding his fingers, she pressed them into her wet channel and swirled them around. “Think you can take it from here?”

He smiled, the feel of her readiness making him rock hard. “I’ve got this.” Remy shoved her hands above her head and held them in one of his while the other parted her folds and stroked the tender strip of flesh between.

Mitchell’s body arched off the bed, her hips rising. “That’s the way to do it. Right there.”

He stopped and leaned back, admiring her beautiful body and the way her cheeks flushed when she was hot with desire. “Before we go any further, we should probably clear the air.”

“What?” Mitchell jerked her hands from his grasp and leaned up on her elbows. “What air? You can’t stop now,” she wailed. “We were just getting started.”

With a chuckle, Remy stroked her there again. Just once. “I want you to know that I’m over my guilt for what we did to Brewsky.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Her words came out in short bursts. “It wasn’t right, but it’s the past.”

“Exactly. Which brings up the point.” He knew what he wanted to say and couldn’t stop a knot from forming in the center of his chest.

“The point that you’re wasting a perfectly good orgasm by talking too much?” She shook her head.

Smoothing a hand over her hip, Remy smiled. “That I love you and I don’t want to be a once-in-a-while fling with you.”

Mitchell grew still, her eyes wide, her bottom lip trembling. “Oh, baby.” She cupped his cheek in her palm. “Besides chocolate and flowers, that is the nicest gift you could have given me for Valentine’s Day.” She pressed her lips to his and kissed him long and hard, her arms circling his neck, dragging him back to the mattress.

After a few moments, Remy stopped kissing her and leaned back, frowning. “And?”