Hot SEALs: Through Her Eyes (2 page)

Suri set a stack of pancakes in the middle of Jax’s nearly empty plate. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m feeling a little nostalgic. I kind-of miss our hut in the compound…”

Jax smiled and pulled her across his lap.

She laughed and held the pan high. “Stop. The pan’s hot.”

“So are you, beautiful.” Then he gave her a noisy kiss, before pushing her off his lap and smacking her ass. “Behave. This is man-talk. Go flip some more pancakes.”

Suri wrinkled her nose. “You are in so much trouble.”

Wolf felt a real smile tug at his lips. He was happy for Jax. Really, he was. The twinge of envy in his chest was something he’d have to deal with.

Deke cleared his throat, which brought everyone’s gaze back to his. “Point is, Wolf, you know what’s on the table. This place is yours for the week. The kitchen and the bar are stocked. But don’t feel like we’re piling on the pressure. Sure, we need a man with your skills, but you have to do what’s right for you.”

“I’ll think about it,” Wolf said, his gaze going out the window to the beach. Already, his thoughts were drifting from the life decision he had to make to the woman he’d observed.

He wondered what he’d say if ever his path crossed hers. Hell, he’d figure it out. He worked best when he went with his gut anyway. “I appreciate the offer,” he said, his glance going from Deke to Jax. “I really do. But I’m not a hundred percent sure what’s next.” He took a deep breath, and then shrugged. “I’ve spent the last twelve years staring down a sniper’s scope, making life-or-death decisions—and no matter what the brass said, I didn’t always feel right about my choices. This time, I want to be sure.”

“Understood,” Deke said. “Just know, whatever your decision, we’ll always have your six.” He turned in his seat to glance out at the ocean. “Jet skis are tethered to the dock…”

At last, a smile stretched across his face, and he pointed at Jax’s plate. “Quick! Finish before Suri gives you more to eat.”

“I heard that,” she said from across the room. “That’s okay. My feelings won’t be hurt. I might ask Piper next door to join me for a swim.”

“Piper?” So maybe he’d said that with a little too much excitement in his voice.

His buddies both raised their eyebrows.

Guess there’s no way to pretend I’m not interested.
He cleared his throat. “You mean the redhead next door?”

Suri grinned. “Maybe. You want me to introduce you?”

“Fuck no!” he blurted. “Sorry about my French.”

Jax and Deke began to chuckle and exchanged looks.

“You don’t have to apologize. You all swear like
sailors
.” She grinned as she placed plastic wrap over the top of the mixing bowl with the remaining pancake batter. “But why not? She seems nice. And, remember, we leave in the morning. A week’s a long time.”

Her heavy hints weren’t lost on anyone. From what he’d heard, only a couple of days were needed for her and Jax to hook up, and then only a couple more before they were firmly a couple. But he wasn’t looking for a love connection, and he suspected the beautiful woman next door wouldn’t consider an out-of-work SEAL a viable partner. “All right. Introduce us. But, I have to warn you now, I’m not good with women.”

Suri gave him a long onceover that sent his nerves tingling. “I think you underestimate your appeal, frogman.”

Jax shifted in his chair. “You really are asking for a spanking now.”

“We don’t need special occasions,” she said, her voice dipping low.

Jax jumped up from his chair and dashed toward Suri, who threw a dishtowel at his head and ran squealing for the stairs.

“Guess she won’t be introducing us any time soon…” So, maybe a little twinge of disappointment stabbed his chest at that thought. It was for the best, though. The last thing Piper needed was him.

AT THE CHIME of the doorbell, Piper Ames sighed, reluctantly set aside her Bushnell binoculars, and rose from her lounge chair. For the past half hour, she’d been admiring the scenery just outside her window.

She checked her appearance in the mirror and shrugged. Still in her bathrobe, with her hair in a messy knot atop her head, she looked the part of a woman enjoying a leisurely vacation morning. A reasonable cover.

On her porch stood the blonde who’d introduced herself across the fence when she’d first arrived at the house next door. “Suri, hello,” she said, aiming a glance behind her, hopeful for a little glimpse of the luscious eye candy the woman seemed to take for granted.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Suri said, her large blue eyes twinkling.

“Of course not. You know I’m on vacation.” The lie was coming easier each time she told it. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, we’re having a barbecue this afternoon, taking the grill out on the sand.” She raised her hand to tick off the items on her fingers. “We’ll have steaks and shrimp, tons of veggies, tortillas—I’m actually making those from scratch—”

“Was there an invitation in there somewhere?” Piper asked, laughing. From just one meeting, Piper already knew how Suri bubbled like champagne, sometimes blending her words into froth. Her happiness with her fiancé shone in her bright cheeks and happy smile.

“Yes, actually, I was getting to that.
Promise.
” She pointed toward the water and the jet skis skimming the waves. “The guys are out playing right now. There’ll be Jax and I, Deke who’s an old friend, but taken, and Wolf—”

“Wolf?”

“It’s his…nickname. Name’s actually Wyatt. And
he’s
not taken. No girlfriend. Fact is, I think he’s kind-of shy around women.”

“It’s not a fact if you only think it.” Piper kept her eyes wide while inside she chuckled as the blonde narrowed her eyes.

Suri planted a hand on her hip. “You’re sassy.”

“And I’m not looking for a hook-up, but I’d love to come for what sounds like good food. Want me to bring anything?”

“I think we have everything. The company Jax works for keeps the place stocked, even pays a local to come in and clean, too.”

“Must be nice.”

Suri blinked and looked beyond Piper’s shoulder. “Your place is pretty nice, too.”

Was she angling for an invitation inside? Piper stepped into the doorway to prevent it.
House rule #1. No guests.

Suri’s smile didn’t falter.

Maybe she hadn’t noticed she’d been blocked.

“Well, come over whenever you want,” she said, waving toward her place. “We’re just hanging out. There’s beer and wine.”

“I will. I won’t be long, I promise.”

“Well, great!” A sudden gust of breeze caught Suri’s hair, and she swept it from her face. “I can’t wait to introduce you to Wolf.”

That same gust flapped at Piper’s bathrobe, preventing her from warning Suri not to expect too much, but what the heck? She was accustomed to fending off unwanted attention. She’d make sure Wolf knew she wasn’t “in the market.”

“See you later.” Suri smiled and walked away.

Piper’s gaze went sideways, toward the water again. The men were acting like kids, skimming the tops of the waves then spinning the jet skis in tight circles, raising rooster tails of water before chasing another wave or each other.

However, the game wasn’t what had kept her binoculars trained on the water. The reason was their hard, ridiculously fit bodies. Their muscles hadn’t been honed in the gym alone. She could tell. Had known since they’d unpacked the evening before. She’d been watching. They were too lean, their bodies accustomed to movement. That, added to their attention to their appearance—shorter hair, well-shaven, their clothes, if not pressed, at least displaying precise fold marks—indicated a military background.
Good to know
. Maybe this afternoon she’d figure out if they were here strictly for some downtime, or if they had business in the area. She’d just determined their house was owned by a Mexican shell company, but she hadn’t yet had the chance to dig any deeper.

She strolled toward her chair and reached for the binoculars. She’d shower and dress in a minute. For now, she wanted one last chance to look them all over. Her cell phone rang, and she sighed, sliding it from the pocket of her robe. “Yes, Calvin?”

“How’d you know it was me?”

He sounded amused. “Because I just closed the front door.” The house had a security system, and they’d piggy-backed onto it to keep track of entries and exits. The fact she’d left the circuit open so long while she’d spoken with Suri had to have been the most exciting thing that happened to Calvin all day. Of course, he couldn’t help calling.

“So who came to the front door?”

“The neighbor?”

“The cute, curvy blonde?”

“Yeah…Suri. She invited me over for a barbecue.”

“Was she disappointed when you said no?”

She raised a brow. “Who said I refused the invitation?”

“The house next door isn’t your mission.”

“Have you figured out who owns the house?”

“Nope.”

“Then consider this a recon.”

The silence at the other end stretched. “All right. But don’t get too chummy. You’ve got a job to do.”

“It’s a meal, Calvin. I’m tired of my own cooking.”

“Eggs and more eggs. How come your mama never taught you to cook?”

Her jaw tightened. “My mama was too busy serving fifteen to twenty.”

Calvin grunted. “Just remember the rules. Never know when Alana will pop back in.”

“It’s not like I plan to bring home one of those dudes.” No, she already had enough worries and didn’t need to add another layer of complication to her life. “I’m getting dressed. I’ll be next door for the rest of the day.”

A breath expelling slowly sounded in her ear.

Her mouth twitched at his noisy sigh. “You already bored? We’re only a month in.”

“Yeah, but you get the sexy stuff. The fantastic house, the clothes. You can move around a bit. I’m going stir crazy in this house. I’m out of clean socks.”

“Just keep your ears on. And do some laundry. The sooner Alana’s man decides he wants some, we’ll nail his ass. We won’t have to work again for a year—two years—if we don’t want.”

“I was thinking more like—
ever
.”

“You really think you could give up the adrenaline rush?”

“Yeah, I do. I’m comin’ up on forty. My heart can’t take too many more thrills.”

“Now, you’re talkin’ like an old man.” And not for the first time.

“I’m gettin’ tired, Piper. I’d like to live somewhere…quiet. Get to know the neighbors. Maybe play dominoes in the park.”

Piper shook her head, softly chuckling. “Now, I know you’re full of shit.”

“Yeah, so maybe we don’t have to stop, but we could set our sights a little lower. Every grab doesn’t have to be so cloak ‘n’ fuckin’ dagger.”

“Blah, blah, blah.” Calvin was just bored. He had too much time on his hands while he watched a surveillance monitor next to the TV. “Go back to watching NCIS. I have to get ready.”

“It’s in fuckin’Spanish, Pipe. Do you know how ridiculous Gibbs sounds speakin’ Spanish?”

She laughed. “Goodbye.” She hit
END
and headed toward the bathroom. He was right—about adjusting their game. Seeking high-end bounties was a dangerous job. Too often, their targets were into organized crime or were stupid-rich and had the money to hire professional protection. And she couldn’t deny she hadn’t been thinking the same thing. This grab would be their last high-profile one. So far, they’d been lucky. Neither had ever been seriously hurt. One day, their streak would end.

Once they had Gustav Pérez, they’d skip back across the border happy. A half million dollars richer. If they were both smart, they could make the cash last a long time, or they could invest in their business. Do it right. Get an office. Hang out a shingle. Maybe they could hire others to do the scary shit.

“Nah.” She chuckled as she stepped into the shower. She liked the high stakes. Craved the adrenaline rush that swept her during a takedown the same way a junkie did with his next fix. No, she wasn’t giving it up.

Neither would Calvin. Yeah, he was older. He’d turned her into his apprentice four years ago when she’d stepped on his toes a couple of times, trying to steal his targets. They worked well together. He’d become the only family she had, and she knew the feeling was mutual.

Maybe the things he’d hinted at lately, the need to slow down, weren’t due to the fact he didn’t think he could keep doing the work, but because he wanted more. Maybe he wanted a real family. A wife. Kids.

She shivered at the thought. She’d had real family—or at least, a mother. And that hadn’t worked out so well. If she couldn’t convince Calvin not to take a step back, she’d go it alone again. Her skills were better; she’d learned some patience.

In the meantime, there were three very good-looking dudes to check out next door. She might not be free to take one home, house rules and all, but she could look. And she’d have a chance to figure out whether the company Suri’s man worked for was connected to Pérez in any way. If it was, then she was better off to keep the enemy close…

AFTER SHOWERING AND shaving—Suri said Wolf had to spruce up because they were having a guest over—Wolf joined the guys outside to fulfill the manly task of cooking the meat.

All three of them were needed, Jax had told Suri, hand over his heart. “Swear, honey.”

“What? So one can hold the cook’s beer while he flips meat?”

“Yeah.”

Her brows wrinkled. “And what’s the third one do?”

“Watch for incoming.” Jax took a sip of beer while he watched his fiancée’s eyes narrow.

But Suri shook her head, and when she turned away, they all heard her soft chuckles.

“You’re marrying a keeper,” Deke said.

“Don’t I know it?”

The gate on the privacy fence that ran between the two houses and down to the water, swung open, and all three men trained their gazes on the woman who stepped into the yard.

Holy fuck.
Wolf’s mouth sagged, but he caught himself and snapped his jaw closed—although not fast enough to prevent Jax’s smirk.

The closer she drew, the less he cared that his friends were watching him watching her. She wore a figure-skimming white halter top and low-riding short-shorts. The tops of her breasts rounded in the heart-shaped opening, and he doubted any man staring at her chest didn’t imagine riding her cleavage. The view below was almost as enticing—a sleek, trim waist, golden skin, and those long, mouthwatering legs. Even her toes, the nails painted a bright red, were delectable. He’d never considered sucking toes particularly sexy. But, lord for the privilege of touching any part of the full package, he’d gladly swallow a little piggy.

An elbow dug into his side, and he aimed a quick glare at Jax.

“Tell her hello,” Jax said, whispering from the side of his mouth.

Fuck, he had to talk to the woman. As the sole bachelor, he stepped forward to greet her. “You must be Piper. I’m Wolf. My friends here are Deke and Jax.”

“So, which is which?” she asked, her eyebrows rising.

That sparkle of laughter in her green eyes caught him by surprise, and then he thought about what she’d said. She was making fun of his clumsiness. Not that he really minded, but now, he didn’t feel quite so nervous. She’d sent the first volley. Warfare, even a sexually based one, was something he could deal with. “Jax, Deke,” he said, rudely pointing toward his friends who were grinning.

They both offered their hands to shake.

An act he’d forgotten to do, and now the opportunity to touch her was lost. “Can I get you a beer?” he muttered.

“I’d love one.”

Glad for the escape, he left and strode toward the cooler which was set under the shade of the back door eaves. As he bent to draw two bottles from the cooler, he heard the back door slide open.

“She’s pretty, right?”

“Yeah.” He straightened, knowing his cheeks were turning red, because Suri already knew he thought Piper was hot.

“Ask her where she’s from…” she whispered, while she waved at Piper, “…and how long she plans on staying. Find out what she’s seen while she’s been here.”

He rolled his eyes. “Suri, I don’t do small talk.”

“Then ask her to go to bed with you.”

His eyes widened, and his gut clenched.
If only it was that easy
.

She snickered. “Yeah, you can’t start with that.”

He got her point and took a deep, fortifying breath before turning back to Piper and his two friends, who were all chatting amiably together. He stepped beside her and passed the beer.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Deke looked at Jax, who looked behind Wolf, no doubt at a wildly gesturing Suri.

“We better check on the steaks,” Jax said. “And despite what any man will tell you, only two guys are required to man a grill.”