Once a Marine (3 page)

She punched in Nick’s code. He answered after the first ring. “Where are you? My brother-in-law’s car just pulled up. Don’t tell me you’re going to be late.”

“Nick.”

“Don’t tell me that, BD.”

“Nick, I
am
running a little bit late, but I’ll be there, I promise. I’m at the airport with Shari. Soon as I get her settled and I’m off the plane, I’ll grab a cab back to the hotel and pick up my car. I’ll be breaking the speed limit all the way.”

“This is the very last time, BD.”

“I know, honey. Please don’t be mad. I love you.” The sounds of the engines grew louder, increasing the vibrations of the bulkheads. “They’re getting ready to take off, Nick. I’ve got to deplane. I’ll be there.” BD clicked off the phone and plopped it on the sink counter.

She jumped up and re-arranged her clothes. As she washed her hands the plane rolled. “What the hell!” Fumbling with the sliding door lock and handle for what seemed like forever, she finally escaped the restroom.

“Shari, tell them to stop! I’m getting off. I promised Nick I was on my way.”

Shari uncrossed her legs and leaned back in her seat. She stared out the window into the dark.

“Stop them!”

Shari’s perfectly sculpted face turned toward BD. “I need you to go with me. I told them to leave. Sit down and fasten your seat belt.”

Ready to tear her hair, BD screamed, “No, Shari! It’s not OK! We’re talking about my life here. You can’t kidnap me. You can’t keep treating me as if I were your personal chattel. Tell them to stop.”

“No.”

“Then I will.” She took a step toward the front of the cabin. The plane lifted off the runway and into a steep climb, banked, and nearly knocked BD off her feet. Dismayed, she grabbed the back of the seat across from Shari and held on.

Soon the plane leveled out. Rafael’s voice came over the intercom. “We’re on our way, ladies. Expected arrival time at Honolulu airport is approximately half an hour past eight, Hawaiian time. Soon as we reach our cruising altitude I’ll be back there to serve a light supper. Please relax and enjoy the flight.”

This was the last straw. Searing anger burned BD’s eyes. She stepped back and took the seat across from Shari. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done, Shari? Do you?”

* * *

BD clenched her jaw, turned, and stared out the window at Los Angeles’ sprawling, endless carpet of twinkling lights. Shiny reflections bounced off the surface of the undulating Pacific Ocean. She’d entered another world, albeit against her will. The scene below was her last glimpse of life as she’d known it. Oppressive sadness covered her like a blanket. She was unable to gather her thoughts. Almost an hour passed before she had a coherent thought.

The thump of her pulse filled her head, pounding her with a sense of loss. Loss that cut deep into her chest. Nick. She blamed herself. She’d risked her personal happiness and for what—her goddamned job? The job she now hated almost as much as she hated herself for allowing this to happen.

The sound of sobbing broke through the drone of the jet engines. She looked to see Shari with tears running down her sculpted cheeks, dripping off her chin.

“Whatever it is you’re crying about, I hope it’s really bad. I hope it hurts like hell. You deserve it.”

Shari didn’t answer. She merely turned and stared at BD. Her face was a mask of such deep sorrow that for a moment BD regretted her harsh words, but only for a moment.

The intercom buzzed, followed by Rafael’s voice, “We’re leveling off, ladies. It’s safe to move around the cabin, but please keep your seatbelts on while seated.”

Shari’s buckle flew over the armrest as she abruptly rose and flounced to the restroom.

BD shook her head from side to side in despair. What should she do now? Think. She had to think. Was it possible to salvage her relationship with Nick? The cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She didn’t want to see who called.

The BlackBerry vibrated again and again. She looked. Nick. She didn’t know what to say to him. Instead of answering, she jammed it back in her pocket and picked up the glass of warm champagne, curious that it hadn’t tipped or spilled during their ascent.

She swallowed the contents so fast a bubble rose in her throat. She burped. “Ugh!” She didn’t even like champagne. It always gave her a headache. One big enough to equal her heartache.

The phone vibrated again. With trembling hand she pushed the talk button. Before she could utter a word through her constricted throat, Nick’s voice boomed through the microphone, “Where the hell are you? You should be here by now. We’re worried. BD?”

“Nick?”

“Are you all right? When will you be here?”

What to say? How to say it? “You know I love you, right? I’m OK, but there’s been a complication. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t want to do it.”

“Spit it out.”

“I’m, uh, I’m on Shari’s plane on the way to Hawaii. They took off while I was in the restroom talking to you. I’ll get the first flight back to LA the minute we land. I promise.”

“You promise. Do you know what a promise is? Do you?”

“Yes. I—”

“We’re through.”

The nearly inaudible click followed by dead silence chilled her. He wouldn’t answer if she called back; she knew that. She’d exhausted Nick’s well of forgiveness. She’d gone back to that well once too often during the past six months.

She didn’t blame him. She’d blindly ignored all the signs. Her job at Grayson would never allow them to have a satisfactory, let alone happy, married life. Nick saw it. He gave her as much latitude as possible. It was her decision in the end, her choice…life with him or the job. She’d really known all along that to have both wasn’t feasible.

BD sat facing the cockpit door. It opened. Rafael stepped out and reached for a fastener to prevent the door from closing. Eerie light from the innumerable instruments, dials, and gauges glowed in front of his empty seat.

BD straightened her back. “Who’s flying this thing?”

Rafael grinned. “My buddy, Joe.”

“Joe? Where is he? I didn’t see anyone up there.”

He pointed. “Oh, he’s there, Bravo Delta.” He looked around. “Where’s Miss Grayson? She get off?”

BD crossed her arms. “You’re very funny, Cruz. Now, I want to know why you’re back here doing your stand-up act instead of flying the airplane as you were hired to do.”

His contrite expression wasn’t convincing. “We’re hundreds of miles from any air traffic. We’ve reached our cruising altitude and there’s no turbulence ahead till we get within two hundred miles of the islands. It’s perfectly safe. Got it, Bravo Delta?”

She squeezed her lips together and sniffed. “That’s what you say.”

“Hey, I have as much at risk as you do.” He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “More. It’s my airplane. Would I leave the cockpit if it wasn’t safe? Relax.”

BD sagged back into her seat. “You’re relaxed enough for both of us.” She tilted her head toward the rear of the cabin. “Shari’s using the restroom. She was crying when she went in there. I don’t know what’s going on with her.”

“Is she ill?”

“Listen up, flyboy. I said I don’t know what’s wrong with her. I don’t care either.”

“Are you always so sweet? And you can call me Rafi.”

She pointed an accusing finger at him. “How sweet would you be if you’d just been kidnapped?”

Rafi cocked his head. “You got me there, sunshine. I don’t know what—”

They turned their heads as the restroom door snapped shut. Shari strolled back to her seat, face repaired, expression remote and cold.

BD wrinkled her nose. “I see you’re feeling better. I just told your pilot I was kidnapped. He’s going to turn the plane around and take me back to LA.” She glared at Rafi. “Aren’t you?”

Shari startled at BD’s comment. “He most certainly is not. And you weren’t kidnapped. You’re still on the clock. You’re my personal assistant, and right now I require your assistance.”

“You didn’t tell me when I accepted this job as your ‘personal assistant’ I’d have no time for a life of my own.”

“You didn’t ask.”

Rafael watched the byplay between his two passengers with a mixture of concern and humor. True, Bravo Delta had not intended to be on his plane when it departed, but to say she was kidnapped was a stretch. Working overtime maybe, but kidnapped?

He knew the meaning of kidnap very well. In his other life he’d engineered several. All successful. In. Out. Job done. When Grayson hired him to fly this little charter to Honolulu, a damn good cover fell right into his lap.

He cleared his throat. “Either of you gals up for a late supper?”

Shari glared at him. “Gals?”

BD snorted. “We’re not
gals
. What century do you live in, Cruz?” With a glance filled with disgust, she shook her head, turned her chair, and stared out the window into black nothingness. “Count me out.”

“You sure? It’s steak and lobster. Prepared by one of the finest restaurants in LA.”

BD turned back. “Don’t pilots have to pass a hearing test?”

Shari covered her mouth muffling a small giggle. “Could we call a truce? I’ll have the meal. You should eat, BD. There may not be anything at the villa. They weren’t expecting me to be back so soon.”

BD shrugged. “Whatever. I have nothing to say about anything anyway.”

“Look, if you still want to go back you can book yourself a return flight tomorrow. Grayson will pay for the ticket.”

“Damn right it will.” BD got up and went to the restroom and slammed the door.

Rafael snapped off a salute. “Two surf ’n turf, coming right up.” He headed to the small galley behind the cockpit. What a pair, he thought. A chuckle rumbled low in his midsection.

Close to midnight Rafi pulled their car through the big ornamental gates to Shari’s ocean front villa.

BD lowered the window. The night air blew soft and warm. The sound of the surf crashed as strong as the scent from the alley of Tahitian Sunset plumeria trees leading to the house. She inhaled the unique sweetness as the car brushed a low branch. A blossom blew in through the window and landed in her lap.

“Put the window up,” Shari said. “The wind is ruining my hair.”

“Are you serious? Who cares about their hair in the middle of the night?”

“I do.”

BD scoffed and shook her head. “You pay the hairdresser hundreds of dollars for that natural windblown look you get for free over here.”

The car rolled to a soft stop. “Just put it up, OK. We’re here now.”

A light blinked on in the entry hall followed by the blaze of outside coach lights. The door opened. A small Filipino man, turned out in full livery, stepped to the car and opened the passenger door. “Aloha, Missy Grayson. I hope you have pleasant flight.” He reached for her.

Shari took his hand and stepped out. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here, Datu. I know you and Angara were visiting your grandchildren this week.”

“Only other side of island. Angara here tomorrow. I have enough of grandchildren already.”

A big smile broke across his face when BD poked her head out the door. “You bring Missy BD this time.”

“Yes, she probably won’t be here long.” Shari cast a sour glance in BD’s direction.

BD stepped out of the limo into the fragrant Hawaiian night. She grinned at the wizened old man who came up to her shoulder. “Aloha, Datu. Nice to see you again.”

“Aloha, Missy. You stay long time, OK?” He gave them a little nod and went to the back of the car to instruct Rafi where to take the luggage.

Datu gave BD a wide-eyed look. “Airline lose your luggage again, Missy BD? These all Missy Grayson bags.”

“No, I, uh, came at the last minute.” She glared at Shari and Rafael. “I didn’t have time to pack. Guess I’ll have to go shopping.”

Datu grinned. “Ah, yes, ladies love shopping.” He followed Rafi to the entrance. He turned. “Not so much as Japanese ladies though.” He giggled at his own comment. “You come inside. I have rooms all ready, plenty food, spa tub and pool all nice, warm warm.”

A deep pang of sadness sliced through BD. She and Nick had been promised the villa for their honeymoon. The weight of her loss came back with a vengeance. They’d never have a honeymoon now. Thanks to Shari. No, she couldn’t blame Shari any longer. She’d passed up many opportunities to put her foot down. It was her own fault, totally.

Rafi came toward them in the spacious, open entry hall. “Will you need me for anything else, Miss Grayson?”

Shari flipped her hand in dismissal. “No, Cruz. I’ll call when I decide to go back. I plan to stay here for a while.”

“Sure thing. I won’t be around Honolulu long, but the company has a couple of jets stationed here. I’ll see myself out.”

Shari turned to walk away. Rafi leaned close to BD. “Bye, sunshine. Don’t cry when I leave. Won’t do you no good.” He reached out and pinched her behind.

Furious, BD whirled on him. “You…you…”

The sound of his soft laughter drifted back as he went out into the night.

Chapter Two

BD woke up with a start and scowled into the early morning sunlight at Rafael Cruz’s shadow looming above her. She bolted upright. “What do you want?”

“And a good morning to you too, sunshine.”

“How did you get in here?”

“Through the gate.” He put his hands in the pockets of his shorts and faced the sunrise. “Are you always so cheerful this early in the morning?”

“The gate has an automatic lock. You need the code to open it.”

He turned to face her, his head cocked. “I know the code. Grayson gave it to me about six hours ago.” He squatted down to be at eye level. “You remember that don’t you, Bravo Delta? Or were we partying naked in the pool all night?”

BD looked at her bare chest and yelped. She yanked at the towel, part under her and part over her, in a desperate attempt to cover up. At the same time she thrust out a hand and shoved him back. She didn’t budge his bulk.

Rafi enjoyed a nice long look at two of the most kissable, rosy breasts he’d seen in a long while. Her antics brought on a lot of bouncing and jiggling, adding to his enjoyment.