Authors: Skye Jordan

Ricochet (46 page)

BOOK: Ricochet

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“You’re all sick.” She turned and continued toward the water with the plan of diving in and swimming out as far as she could.

“No, Rachel—”

A hand caught her ankle, nearly tripping her. She looked over her shoulder. Nathan was chest-down in the sand, his hand clutched around her foot.

“I don’t
believe
you…” she said through clenched teeth.

She would have ranted, sworn, acted like a complete lunatic, but she really didn’t want to see her own mental meltdown on
Entertainment Tonight
anytime soon.

Still holding on, Nathan pushed upright and walked on his knees toward her, his handsome face flooded with a painful level of regret and tilted up for everyone to see.

“Don’t do this, Nathan,” Rachel whispered urgently, embarrassed for herself, mortified for him. “Please.”

“I wronged you in public,” he said from where he knelt at her feet. “It’s only right that I apologize in public.”

Her insides bubbled with emotion. The absurdity of the situation pushed a tight laugh from her throat. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Tried to pull her hand back, but Nathan held tight.

Dammit.

“Then just get it over with,” she muttered.

He released her leg and took a breath that raised his shoulders. “I’m…crazy about you. I’ve never been in love, so I don’t know what it feels like, but I love my guys and I know how torn up I am inside when I have to leave them or feel like I’m letting them down. And what I feel for you is ten times stronger. I’m sorry for all the mistakes I made, for the stupid things I said, for hurting you. I’m sorry for all of it…” Another deep breath preceded a shift in his eyes, where fear and vulnerability shone clearly. “I won’t promise I’ll ever be perfect, but I can promise to keep trying.”

She forced her internal shield to hold, but beneath, she ached. “You should have stopped with the apology.”

Before she could move, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her. With his chin on her belly, he looked up into her eyes. “I’m a fucking train wreck, baby, I admit it. But I’ve found a therapist and postponed my next tour. I want to be better. I want to be the kind of man you need.”

“Oh my God.” This was heart wrenching. He buried his face in her belly and kissed the strip of skin exposed beneath the hem of her T-shirt. Rachel lowered her hand to his head, and the short cut bristled against her palm. “You are a fucking lunatic.”

He laughed and nodded against her body, his warm breath sliding over her skin. The question that had plagued her ever since he’d brought up that “what if” filled her mind again, but she didn’t see any way of making something this troubled work with that kind of time and distance between them.

She lowered to a crouch and took his face in her hands.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I needed to know you were going to take care of yourself. And I’m crazy about you, too. But I can’t be a military girlfriend, Nathan. It would be too hard on both of us. I won’t drag this out.” She leaned in and kissed him gently. “Now go back to you those guys you love so much. They need you.”

When she lowered her lashes and pushed to stand, tears spilled over. But she didn’t get to her feet. Nathan pulled her down again.

“But
I
need
you
,” he said, his gaze sharp and focused and searching hers. “I can understand why you wouldn’t want me now, but I believe in us, and I’ll be waiting—in Virginia—when you change your mind.”

“Virginia?” she said as if she’d never heard of the state. “What’s in Virginia?”

“Me.” He kissed her hands. “I transferred for my last tour. I’m not going back overseas.”

Her mouth dropped open. Her legs gave, and she slumped from the crouch onto her knees. “
What?
”

He shook his head. “It’s not where I should be anymore.” He pulled her face close and murmured against her lips, “I belong with you.” He kissed her gently. “And I’ll be spending every day for however long it takes to prove I’m serious, prove I’m making changes, prove I love you.”

Then he slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close for one of his wet, slow, devastating kisses.

Earsplitting applause broke out around them, along with whistles and cheers from the Renegades. Rachel’s mouth curved against Nathan’s, and joy, a deep, rich joy, filled her.

“Okay,” Jax called in his deep voice. “Everyone back to work. Guys,” he said to the other Renegades, “grab boards and get out on the waves. Give these two some privacy.”

Chatter and laughter picked up as the crowd dispersed. Rachel pulled out of the kiss with a hitch in her heart. “What are you going to do in Virginia?”

“I’ll be building up a shitload of frequent-flier miles is what.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “It’s the only EOD unit in the States, or I would have put in for a hardship transfer closer.” His hand stroked through her hair once, then he dragged her into his arms and held her so tight, she could barely breathe. “Fuck, I’ve been living with a hole in my chest without you.”

More tears spilled over her cheeks as she whispered, “I’ve missed you, too.” But she wasn’t so sure about this whole cross-country relationship. “Nathan…”

He pulled back and wiped her tears from her cheek with his thumb.

“A cross-country romance might sound doable now, but in reality…”

“I know how much Renegades means to you.” His gaze scanned her face with so much affection, her heart filled until she thought it would burst. “But you mean just as much to me, and I’m gonna do whatever I have to do to make this work. I’ve seen Mike’s therapist a couple times in the last few days, and he’s helping me line up another one in Virginia. This” —he pushed her hair off her face— “is where I belong now.”

“I happen to know that Norfolk and Richmond are very accessible airports with nonstop flights all over the world.” Jax’s voice cut in, startling Rachel. She’d thought he’d grabbed gone down to the water with the others. “And with this new…bonanza…of cash from the Bond film, travel expenses for a location scout would be very manageable. The pay ain’t bad either. More than you’re making now, in a place with half the cost of living than LA.”

Her mind spun with the offer. “What are you talking about?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Lexi and I discussed possibilities.”

He didn’t need to say any more. Rachel saw the events leading to this moment click together—Nathan had gone to Jax, looking for Rachel. Jax had talked it over with Lexi and created this alternate plan for Rachel, enabling her to take this leap with a safety net if that’s what she wanted.

The realization pulled up another torrent of emotion—gratitude, love, excitement. Because if they believed in Nathan enough to make that move, Rachel knew what her heart had been telling her for weeks was real.

Still, it was another big jump in her life. Far bigger than her move from the valley to Los Angeles. And, as right as it might feel in her heart, she knew Nathan faced big hurdles ahead.

“But, what about you guys?” she asked Jax even while her grip tighten on Nathan’s arm. “You’re my family.”

“Oh, we’re not letting go of you that easily. We’ll get you back here for one reason or another at least once a month.” Jax ran a hand over Rachel’s head with a loving smile. “Think about it, honey. I’d do just about anything to keep you with Renegades. I’ve got the filming here for now. Take a few hours for yourselves.”

Now her heart filled doubly wide, and her chest ached in a whole new way. She looked back at Nathan and read the hope in his gaze. She tipped her head, her mind filled with
should I?
And as if Nathan read her mind, he nodded.

Jax started past them, toward the filming, and Rachel grabbed the pant leg of his jeans.

This was so impulsive. But then she looked at Nathan again, and she knew this whole impulsive thing was something she’d have to learn to get used to, because it brought her the best things in life.

She looked up at Jax, and offered a breathless, “I’ll take it.”

Jax smiled, nodded, and continued on his way.

But every time she made one, it got a little less frightening. And…she was pretty good at it, if she did say so herself.

She met Nathan’s gaze again, his gray-green eyes now filled with deep, soft emotions.

“Oh, shit....” she breathed, her heart tapping quick against her ribs. “That was a big leap.”

Nathan’s hand framed her face, and his warm eyes fixed on hers. “I’ve got you,” he said, his voice filled with confidence and reassurance. “I may be a fuck up in other areas, baby, but I’ll never let you fall. I’ll always have your back.”

The butterflies in her chest quieted. “Yeah?”

A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes remained serious. “Oh, yeah.”

She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, calming a little more with the solid feel. “We can make this? Together?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

“And you’ll let me help you?”

“Bank on it, baby.” One side of his lips curved and he leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. “Are you coming to Virginia with me?”

Oh, my God.
Yes. Yes.
Her heart, her soul, every part of her screamed
yes
.

She bit her lip against the ridiculous rightness flooding her heart. “If…I could find a roommate. These last couple of weeks I’ve discovered I really don’t like being alone.”

Released her face with a whoosh of relief, wrapped her in his arms and dragged her against his body, rocking her back and forth. “I think I know the perfect guy,” he whispered in her ear. “Only, he wants more than a roommate.”

She turned her head, pressed her face into his neck, and kissed him there. “I’m willing to negotiate fringe benefits.”

He laughed, pulled back, and clasped her face in one big, strong hand. “I love you, Rachel Hart.”

Her chest opened, heart swelled. “I love you, too.” She kissed him hard and deep, pulling away with a view of her life that was 180 degrees different than it had been an hour ago. “What do you say we head back to my hotel?” she asked, running her hand down the front of his soft cotton tee. “We’ve got a few hours to get a head start on those…negotiations.”

He stood, pulled her to her feet, then lifted her into his arms. “I should warn you,” he said with a devilish grin, “I’ve been trained by the United States Army in such delicate matters.”

She stroked one finger over the shell of his ear. “I know, Master Sargent Nathan Jefferson Ryker. I’ve read your file.”

Dear Reader,

Thanks for reading
Ricochet
, book 3 in the Renegades series! I hope you enjoyed Ryker and Rahchel’s story. This was a very sexy, emotional, and rewarding book to write, and I look forward to writing more books in this sexy series. So stay tuned for more Renegades!

If you enjoyed
Ricochet
, I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy this book, too.

Recommend it.
Please help other readers find this book by recommending it to friends, readers’ groups and discussion boards.

Review it.
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Until next time, happy reading!

Skye

About the Author

Joan Swan is a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of passion, danger and suspense. She lives in magnificent wine country on the central coast of California with her husband and two daughters.

Visit her on the web in the following locations:

Joan also writes red-hot contemporary romance as New York Times bestselling author Skye Jordan.

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