Touched By Midas (SEALs Going Hot Book 4) (12 page)
“I know. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” He held out his arms as though willing her back. “I love you, Angie. It scares me to death to admit that, to say the words out loud, but I do. I’ll risk everything, including my own luck if you’ll give me a second chance. I don’t want to lose you.”
I love you, Angie.
The declaration reverberated over and over again in her head. She had waited so long to hear that from someone she loved as well. And now…
She couldn’t bear to look at him anymore. More than anything, she wanted to erase what he had done from her memory and start back up from last night. How could she be sure she could ever trust him again now that he had used her once?
“Do you want me or Bussey Stevens’ daughter?” The question fell from her mouth unbidden. But she needed to know.
Midas cocked his head, his face a mask of confusion. “I don’t understand.”
Angie stepped closer, resolved to hear the truth. “You said just a minute ago that you’re falling for me. Which me? The schoolteacher from the base or the child of Bussey Stevens?”
His brows knit together, and he shook his head. “I’ve felt something for you since the first time I saw you over a year ago. I tried to get you out of my mind hundreds of times, but for reasons I can’t explain, my head always brought you back.” He touched her shoulder. “That was long before I knew who your father is. Now that I know, I don’t care. Why should I? I’m in love with you, not your dad.”
She bit the inside of her lip, keeping her mouth from trembling. He was saying all the right things.
“And now that you know who my dad is?”
“The fact that you’re Bussey Steven’s daughter makes me nervous as hell, but I still love you. Nothing will change the way I feel.”
“I am so happy to hear you say that.” Angie rushed forward and held him tightly in her arms. Had her wish come true?
“And what about you?” Midas whispered in her ear as he hugged her back. “Can you care for a SEAL who’s slightly crazy?”
“I love you, too, you big lug.” Angie laughed, too overcome with joy to keep the emotion bottled up inside. “And I wouldn’t want my man any other way.”
****
Midas paced back and forth across the small white room, which seemed to be growing smaller by the minute. Though a cold wind blew in through a window above, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He tugged at the collar of his uniform. Why couldn’t he breathe?
“Relax, man.” Amberjack patted him on the back. “It will be over soon. We’ve lived through a lot rougher stuff than this.”
“I don’t know.” Ox’s face looked grave. “Even I’m starting to feel a little nervous. This might be the toughest mission we’ve ever been on.”
The word
mission
caused Midas’ head to snap in attention. “You all did what you needed to do, right?”
Both Amberjack and Ox nodded.
“Six pieces of bacon. Six eggs,” Amberjack assured.
“And we wore our medals.” Ox slid the silver St. Michael medallion out from underneath his uniform and dangled it before tucking it back in.
Bear opened the door, whisked in, then slammed it shut. “Holy shit, guys. It’s getting bad out there. There are more scopes pointed at this place than I’ve ever seen.”
“Scopes?” Midas reached for his gun and found nothing but his empty pocket.
“He means telephoto lenses,” Ox reminded. “Come on, buddy. We have to remember we are four of the biggest, baddest SEALs in the Navy. This is only a little wedding. We shouldn’t be nervous.”
Amberjack rolled his eyes. “You’re shaking more than Midas is, Ox. And he’s the one getting hitched.”
“Little wedding?” Bear’s voice rose an octave. He pointed a hairy finger to the wall separating them from the church nave. “Three hundred guests have been seated, including rock-and-roll royalty and some real, live British nobility. I heard that someone even saw Elvis lurking in the rafters. There are more paparazzi outside than at the fucking Academy Awards. Little wedding, my ass.”
Amberjack stepped on a stool beneath the window. The tall SEAL craned his neck to look out to the street. “Oh, yeah,” he said, placing both feet back on the church’s tiled floor. “Even more than this morning. The whole block is wall to wall photographers and news media. Good thing we got here early.”
The
whir
of a low-flying helicopter directly overhead drowned out all other sounds for a moment before moving on.
“This is fucking insane.” Bear removed his white cap and tucked it behind his back into the band of his full dress uniform slacks. “Maybe you two should have eloped in Gibraltar or Vegas. Would have been way easier.”
“And have to deal with the wrath of my mother for missing out on her only son’s wedding?” Midas shook his head. “Not on your life.”
“Speaking of your life,” Ox broke in. “You sure you want to live in this circus for the rest of yours?”
The question his friend tossed out wasn’t the first time Midas thought about the consequences of marrying Angie. He had taken his time with his proposal, waiting over a year to ask her. After word of their engagement had leaked outside their families, the press hounded them both. Luckily, he could escape the mania when he left for missions or stepped onto a secured base. Angie wasn’t so fortunate, but she took everything in stride. After growing up with Bussey Stevens and Dara Summers, the media madhouse barely fazed her at all.
If he didn’t love Angie, his dealings with the paparazzi might have proved too much. But he did love her, with all his heart and soul he loved her. No way he would trade what they shared for any amount of peace from the crap and aggravation that might come along with falling for a rock legend’s daughter. And despite concerns about losing his nod from the powers that be for the price of love, he had found just the opposite. His fortunes multiplied with her in this life. She was, quite possibly, the luckiest talisman ever.
He had pondered all his other superstitious thoughts and rituals since falling in love with Angie. Maybe he had been completely wrong about everything.
Midas took in the other three members of his team and chuckled to himself. Why have the guys disregard the rituals he had them practicing since the disastrous Stereo Arsenal date? After nearly losing Angie to their stupid bet, they deserved to suffer through hundreds of eggs and bacon meals, medals around their necks, and any other superstitious routine he could make up.
Outside the low rumble of cheers, yells, and thousands of camera clicks sounded. A minute later, a priest clad in a simple robe opened the door and poked his head in the room. “The bride has arrived. It’s time.”
“Thank you, Padre. We’ll be right out.” When the clergyman closed the door, Midas tugged on the hem of his dress blues jacket. He shot a sideways glance at Amberjack. “You sure you have the ring?”
The tall Texan patted his breast pocket. “Hasn’t left me since you gave it to me.”
“Shoulders back and chests out, ladies.” Ox opened the door where the rest of the wedding party waited.
Two of his younger sisters and Angie’s friend Susan stood in the vestibule. Each wore a long crimson dress and carried small bouquets of red roses.
Red. The color of luck.
He held back a grin.
“Come with me.” The priest motioned for Midas and Amberjack to follow him to a narrow corridor leading to the front of the assembled congregation.
Midas hesitated, taking everything in. This was really happening. He was about to marry the woman of his dreams. This day above all others was the happiest of his life.
“Michael, get a move on. Everyone is waiting,” his sister Lia hissed.
When they arrived up front at the altar, a four-piece orchestra began playing. Amberjack held out his hand.
“Good luck, buddy,” his friend said under his breath.
“Thanks, I’ll need it.” As they shook, Midas leaned in close. “And thanks for being my best man. I guess you’ll be next.”
Amberjack let out a quiet snort. “When pigs fly.”
They turned and watched the wedding party march two-by-two down the aisle. After Susan, the maid of honor, took her place at the altar next to Lia and Carmen, the quartet changed their tune to the Bridal Chorus. The entire congregation stood.
Angie, a vision in white with a single scarlet rose in her hand, rounded the grand church entryway on the arm of Bussey Stevens. The old rock star, crazy as ever, wore a shiny red suit with matching patent leather shoes. Mummers of approval rose from the assembly.
With each step his bride-to-be took, Midas’ heart leapt. When she looked up and her gaze met his, his chest swelled with a mixture of love, passion, and pride. She, the beautiful high school teacher on base, was his and he was hers. He would love and protect her until his dying breath, and happily so.
Without a single doubt, he was the luckiest son of a bitch alive.
About the Author
I remember reading about Texas in an Illinois grade school and thinking I probably would never see the great state where real cowboys ride their horses to work every day and everyone wears western hats and boots. Then again, I never dreamed I would elope in Gibraltar with a Navy man who hailed from the Lone Star state. But here I am, smack dab in the middle of Texas, still married to the same wonderful man and boasting not only the greatest daughter on the planet, but three dogs that are as big as long horns.
In between grade school and now, my journey through life has taken me all over the United States, as well as many places throughout the world. Using my travel experience as a guide and peppering in interesting characters I’ve met along the way, I love nothing better than weaving tales of romance and leaving readers yearning for adventures of their own.
Visit Brenna at
To chat with Brenna Zinn and other Wild Rose Press authors of erotic romance, join us at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/thewilderroses.
Ride The Mustang
Book One, SEALs Going Hot
by
Desiree Holt
Fletcher “Mustang” Call is a dedicated SEAL and a committed Dom. The one thing he isn’t is relationship material. A tragedy in his past killed his desire for more than a good time on leave and a little D/s play. Until April Coe walked into his life, a woman unlike any he’s known. Problem is, she’s as vanilla as they come.
April was warned about Mustang, a man as wild and free as his call sign, so she doesn’t expect him to stick around for long. That’s okay, she’ll enjoy the great sex while she can. At least, she thought it was great. When she senses her sexy bronco is holding back, she has to decide whether to ride the mustang a little harder or set him free.
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Though well hidden, deep scars from Dean “Dagger” Gregory’s troubled past have influenced each important decision he’s ever made, including joining the military and keeping his distance from his best friend’s sister, Mia Benson, the only woman he’s ever loved. But after Dagger’s friend strong-arms him into checking on the feisty redhead during his leave in Key West, he finds himself under sexual attack and with no desire—or willpower—to retreat.
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Fletcher "Mustang" Call is a dedicated SEAL and a committed Dom. The one thing he isn't is relationship material. A tragedy in his past killed his desire for more than a good time on leave and a little D/s play. Until April Coe walked into his life, a woman unlike any he’s known. Problem is, she’s as vanilla as they come.
April was warned about Mustang, a man as wild and free as his call sign, so she doesn’t expect him to stick around for long. That’s okay, she'll enjoy the great sex while she can. At least, she thought it was great. When she senses her sexy bronco is holding back, she has to decide whether to ride the mustang a little harder or set him free.
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