Attached (Coronado Series Book 3) (6 page)

“Where are you going on your road trip?” He felt her tracing her fingers absent-mindedly along his hand as she looked out over the restaurant. He wondered if she was aware of what she was doing and how good it felt to him.

“I thought I’d go over to the Grand Canyon and hike the trails surrounding the area. I also want to see Havasu Falls and the Slovenian Caves.”

“Wow, that’s sounds like fun. Let’s go together.”
 

“We wouldn’t last a day on a road trip together, because I’d make you crazy before lunch time.”

“I doubt that.”

She shrugged and looked up into his eyes, and he felt like she was truly looking at him. For the first time since he’d met her, he felt the power of her focus. That was her magic trick. She turned her hazel eyes on people and they felt her full attention. Who could resist the feeling of being seen?
 

The waitress came up with their plates, and he wondered what he was having for dinner. Cary got her fried chicken, which looked terrific, and he got pot roast, vegetables and mashed potatoes. It looked great. He might let her order again. They started eating. “Thanks. You did a good job.” Cary looked over at him and smiled, and he felt like he was hit again.
Damn, she was good.

CHAPTER FOUR

She looked down as Travis grabbed her hand and they walked out of the diner. “What a weird day. I slept with a stranger and almost had sex. I think I’m definitely moving in the right direction.” She looked up at the big blue sky and reminded herself that it was a big world and it was time to go out and experience it. “Thanks for dinner. If I don’t see you again, good luck, thank you and good-bye.”

“That’s it? Two hours ago you were going to sleep with me, I feed you and now it’s good-bye? No, no good bye.”

“That’s an interesting approach to inviting a woman to hang out with you. Has it ever worked for you? Or do you just hope they’re blinded by your sex appeal and then you never have to speak? I kind of wish I could rely on something like that. I always have to work pretty hard to get a man interested in me.”

“I’m going to call bullshit, because that’s the most untruthful thing you’ve said yet. You have been insulting me since we met yesterday, and I’m following you around like a puppy.”

“I think you’ve adopted me as a mission, because it gives you something to focus on. You think I’m vulnerable so you’re going to protect me. It’s what you’ve done for the last fifteen years. Protect and serve.”

“I don’t think that’s it at all.”

“I hear there’s a little bar at the other end of town that has karaoke. Let’s go down there and check it out.”

“So you’re going to ignore what I just said and move on?”

“Yes.”

“OK, works for me, but I don’t sing.”

“That’s OK, I love karaoke. The whole point of it is that no one is ever very good. It’s just fun.”

“All right…let’s walk. I think this evening may require alcohol.”
 

She grabbed his hand, and they walked down the street. Travis couldn’t remember ever being so charmed by a woman. In fact, he was never charmed by a woman. He’d never spent enough time with one time for it to happen. He was more of a one night guy, because being on the Teams never allowed him enough time to pursue anyone seriously.
 

“My former commander recently married a woman who is the worst singer in the world. He told me that it’s one of his favorite things about his wife, because it makes her human. Birdie sings all the time and she knows she’s lousy and doesn’t care. Mark heard her sing before he heard her speak, and it never made a difference to him.”

“Is he still on the Teams?”

“No, he saved my life on our last mission and destroyed his knee. It was the third time it had been reconstructed, and he knew he wasn’t going to be cleared for active duty again. If you can’t jump out of a plane, you can’t be a SEAL. He and Birdie got married on New Year’s Eve, and I think he was ready for the next phase of his life. He’s decided to stay and become an instructor because he feels he has something to give back to the next set of guys. He told me his main focus is getting his wife pregnant, and he’s taking it very seriously.”

“I get the impression that it hasn’t been as simple for you. Maybe if you found someone, like Mark did, it might make it easier. Are you excited to go to work in the private sector, or is it all a letdown after being on the Teams?”

“I’m going to work with a company that’s full of retired SEALs. I don’t know what it’s going to be like. Hell, I may end up liking it more. I’m used to working with a group of men who all speak the same language, and I’m hoping it will be the same when I work with Max.”

They came up to a bar at the end of the street and stepped in. It was like any other bar in any other small town, except that it had a fairly good-size stage with a full karaoke set-up. They found a couple of stools at the end of the bar near the stage. Cary ordered a martini and Travis ordered a beer. “No tequila tonight?” he asked.

“I’m going to return to my usual drink-look at what happened to me last night. Heck, you got the full show this morning when you stopped by. I think I need to maintain a more casual relationship with tequila for a while.” Their drinks arrived and Cary pulled out her wallet.

Travis stopped her and shook his head.

“I’ll never let you pay for a meal or a drink-put your wallet away.”

“How very old-fashioned of you. Thank you.
 

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and then looked her in the eye and winked.
 

Taking his hand, she smiled into his eyes. “You have some pretty powerful charisma when you turn it on.”

“I’m going to turn it on full blast when we get back to the room later on. I’m going to find a way back on that ship if it kills me.” Travis said.

She ran her mouth against his cheek and whispered in his ear, “We’ll see.”
 

He turned his head quickly, captured her mouth and gently sucked her bottom lip into his before releasing her. “I guess we will.” He watched her eyes go soft before she pulled herself together and turned her stool towards the stage.

A woman got up to sing, and she wasn’t half bad. After that, there was a steady stream of volunteers. Cary asked for the notebook filled with songs and started looking at it. “How often do you sing in karaoke bars?”

“I go with a group of friends about once a month. I like to sing, and it’s the only place where it is socially acceptable to belt out a song or two.”

“Am I going to fall in love with you after I hear how bad you are?”

“I doubt it. You would need a lot more alcohol for that to happen.” She found a couple of songs she liked to sing and decided to sign up for a turn. By the time it was her turn, she was on her second martini.
 

Travis started to get worried, because he didn’t want her to embarrass herself. Her name was called, and she got up and went up to the stage.

He watched her sit on the stool and take the mic and was struck by how pretty she was. The stage lights picked up all of the gold highlights in her hair, and her happy smile made her irresistible.
 

The music started, and he recognized the song as an old jazz standard. She started to sing, and he was instantly blown away. The first note that left her mouth had him completely mesmerized. She sang “At Last” by Etta James and sounded like she’d been singing in jazz clubs her whole life. Sweet, pretty kindergarten teacher Cary belted out the song like a seductress and wrapped the crowd up in her magic. She had a low, smoky voice that gently took everyone along with the melody. She let her voice run up and down the notes like she was caressing a lover. Every person in the room had quieted down and was fully captivated by her singing. He watched her sit on the stool in the middle of the stage and felt her voice wrap around him and utterly seduce him. He realized that his first impression of her was completely incorrect. He’d thought she was a woman who never took chances, and he couldn’t have been more wrong. The song ended, and she waved as she came back over to sit down next to him.
 

“You could have given me a heads-up,” he said.

Taking a sip of her drink, she gave him a funny look. “What are you talking about?”
 

“You have an amazing voice. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m an OK singer. Actually, I once won a case of barbeque sauce at a small club in the Valley. That was pretty fun. I had never won anything in my life before that.”

Several people came up and gave her compliments, and she was as charming and gracious as she was with everyone she met. Except for him. He was choosing to see this as a sign of how much she liked him. She clearly felt comfortable with him and didn’t feel as if she had to put on a show. At least that’s what he told himself.
 

“I’m ready to go.” She started to get up and gather her purse and he held her hand for a moment while he paid the bill. “You don’t have to leave,” she said. “I’m fine on my own.”

He ignored her comment and took her hand and led her outside. “I’m not letting you walk back by yourself. I’m only at the bar because you’re here. Let’s go back and watch a Bond movie.”

“I don’t know…I think I’ll take a shower and go to sleep. Maybe we can have breakfast before I leave tomorrow.”

“I’ll come to your room after you take your shower. I have my laptop and we can watch the movie on that.”

“So you’re just going to ignore me.”

“Yes, that’s my plan.” He slung his arm around her shoulder, smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.
 

They arrived at the motel, and Cary got her key out and started to go into her room. “Goodnight.”

“I’ll come back in about an hour. See you then.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly and walked back to his room whistling.

********

Forty-five minutes later Cary sat on the foot of her bed with her hair scraped up into a top-knot and had on her favorite pink floral pajamas. She decided that if Travis came back he was going to see the real her, because she didn’t believe in false advertising. A knock on the door told her that he was an impatient man, because he was fifteen minutes early. She opened the door and admired tall, handsome, smart and funny Travis and realized that he was going to be something important in her life. It might last a day or a week or a month, but the effect he had on her life was going to indelible.
 

He smelled freesia as soon as she opened the door. Cary Simmons was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen. Who would have known his type wore pink flower pajamas, no makeup and a crazy bun thing on the top of her head? He held up the bag that he’d brought. “I got Milk Duds, popcorn and water. We’re all set for movie night.” He started to walk in, and she stepped aside. It was his philosophy that you never got what you wanted in this world unless you were willing to go for it 100%, and he’d finally found something he wanted.
 

He set the bag down on the bed. “Are you ready for the movie?”

She looked at him and found she couldn’t resist the hopeful look in his eyes. “I guess so.”

She watched as he pulled off the nasty bedspread and put it in the corner of the room. He then went to the closet and got the extra pillows and arranged everything. He lay down on the bed and opened his computer. Cary came over to the bed and sat down. “Are you comfortable? Anything else you need?”
 

“No, I’m good. Let me find a Bond movie.” He leaned forward and dropped a quick kiss on her mouth. “Do you want to make the popcorn?”

“Sure, let me do that.” She went over to the microwave in the kitchenette and put the popcorn in and waited. She knew she wanted her life to change, but wasn’t quite sure if this was the change she had in mind. She was in a very small town in the middle of the high desert waiting for her car to be repaired, having a movie night with a very sexy semi-stranger. Maybe when she was dreaming about the changes she should’ve been more specific. Though she couldn’t have come up with this scenario in her wildest dreams, she wasn’t wholly unhappy with the situation. She glanced over to the bed and admired the very sexy man who was lying there. Men like him were never were attracted to women like her. Maybe it was because he was at a loose end. She couldn’t come up with another explanation for his interest. She dumped the popcorn into a bowl, grabbed some napkins and went back to bed.

He found a movie, and it was starting to download. “We’re ready.” He scooted back against the headboard and moved close to her. He put the laptop on his lap and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Can you pass me the Milk Duds? I want to add them to the popcorn.” She passed them over, and he shook some into the bowl and smiled at her. “I haven’t been on a movie date since high school, so I may try to feel you up later on.”

“Good to know. Thanks for the warning.” At that point, there was nothing else to do but surrender to the moment. This was never going to happen to her again, and she might as well enjoy it. Travis was a big, sexy man, and she should take advantage of the situation.
 

Halfway through the movie, he looked down, and Cary had fallen asleep on his chest. He slipped his hand out of her top and gently moved her hand from his shirt. He rolled her over gently so she wouldn’t wake up. He got up, locked the door and turned off the lights. He slipped off his T-shirt and pants and decided he was going to be as comfortable as he could. He hadn’t slept through the night in over three months, and he was looking forward to getting some rest. Sleeping next to a soft, sexy woman was like winning the lottery for him. He slipped into bed and wrapped himself around her as he slipped his hand under her top and felt himself instantly drift off.