Tempted by a SEAL (19 page)

Mack came around the counter, passed Marissa without a second glance and walked directly to Lydia.

Groaning, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her before eying the counter. “I smelled coffee.”

“Sorry. I was trying not to wake you but . . . ”

“You can always wake me for coffee . . . or sex.” He’d said that last part close to her ear before pressing another quick kiss to her mouth.

Moving away, he went to the glass fronted cabinet. As he opened the door and took down three coffee mugs, as comfortable as if he lived here too, Lydia glanced at Marissa.

Her roommate’s eyes widened as she mouthed, “OMG, so hot.”

Lydia rolled her eyes at her friend but couldn’t stop the smile that bowed her lips. Marissa was right. He was hot.

Mack pulled the pot from beneath the stream, splashed some coffee into his mug and then replaced the carafe so the machine could continue filling the glass pot.

He took a long sip and swallowed.

“Ah. I needed that.” Cradling the coffee in both hands, he leaned against the counter and eyed Lydia. “So I figure we’ll drive to my Dad’s right after breakfast.”

“That soon?” she asked, surprised.

“Yes. Your mother is anxious to see you after yesterday. And I haven’t seen my father since the brunch. Besides, we have some confessing to do.”

“Ooo. That sounds interesting. What kind of confessing?” Marissa jumped into the conversation, looking more than interested in the answer.

Mack shot her a glance before focusing back on Lydia. “I think it’s time we tell them we’re together.”

Her heart kicked into overtime. She swallowed hard. “Are we? Together?”

A frown drew the dark brows over his bright blue eyes low. “As far as I’m concerned we are. You don’t agree?”

She rushed to say, “No, I do. I agree.”

He let out a snort. “Well, good.”

Lydia caught a glimpse of Marissa’s glee over their discussion. She had to smile at how her friend looked ready to break into a cheer with happiness on Lydia’s behalf.

She wrestled her attention back to his suggestion. “I can throw some clothes in a bag and be ready to go.”

“Make sure you pack enough for the whole weekend,” Mack ordered, turning to reach for the coffee carafe again. As he filled all three of the mugs lined up on the counter, Lydia had to ponder where she’d be spending the weekend. Their parents’ house or Mack’s apartment?

Actually, it didn’t matter. Either way he’d be there with her. As protective as he’d been the past twelve hours, she had no doubt of that and she couldn’t be happier about the prospect.

He handed her one of the cups of coffee, delivered with a kiss to her lips before he said, “I don’t know how you take it. But I’ll learn. I promise.”

That promise felt as if it encompassed so much more than his learning how she took her coffee.
 

Heart fluttering with all the possibilities for the future, Lydia nodded. “Thank you.”

Mack donned a devilish grin. “Anytime, sis.”

Lydia cocked a brow at what was a very bad joke on his part. “Keep that up and I’ll start calling you James and I’ll continue until the day I die.”

His expression softened. “Coming from you, I think I could live with that just fine until the day I die.”

There it was again, a promise in his words. A pledge that made the day seem even brighter as she looked toward their future together.

“So, how do we think Mommy and Daddy are going to take the news?” Marissa asked, grabbing the third cup Mack had filled off the counter.

Lydia groaned. “I have no idea but I’m a little worried.”

Mack leveled a gaze on Lydia. “Well, stop. Whatever they feel, they’re going to have to get used to it because this—us—is not going away. Got it?”

He was pushy and bossy and Lydia’s heart swelled a little more with love at every word in his demand. “Yeah, I got it.”

 
“Good.” He nodded and she couldn’t argue because it was all just as he’d said—very good.

EPILOGUE

“You ready?” he asked.

“No.” Lydia shook her head and stayed sitting in the passenger seat not moving.

With one arm draped over the VW’s steering wheel, Mack turned in the driver’s seat to raise one brow at her. “Too bad. We have to.”

“But I don’t want to.” She knew she was acting like a brat. She didn’t care.

“Okay.” He turned back forward and reached for the key in the ignition.

“Wait? What are you doing?”

“Leaving. You don’t want to go inside so . . .” He shrugged as he started the engine.

“Wait. We can’t leave.”

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because they’re expecting us.”

He stared at her for a second before turning off the engine again. “Okay. We’ll go in.”

Lydia saw his lips twitch as he pulled the key out of the ignition and reached for the door handle. “You just totally played me, didn’t you?”

Glancing back, he smiled. “Yup.”

She was still pouting when he came around and opened her door. Leaning down, he said, “Come on.”

“Fine.” She’d go, but she wasn’t happy about it.

She spun to walk around the car when he reached out and caught her arm. Reeling her in, Mack whispered in her ear, “I’ll make it up to you later when we’re alone. I promise.”

Having been on the receiving end of Mack’s attentions before, Lydia knew even going through the torture waiting inside for them might be worth it.

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Not exactly a threat, but okay.” He let her lead the way around the car as she resisted the urge to reach for his hand. She couldn’t do that here.

They made it up the path but not quite to the door before it opened and her mother came down the front steps.

“Liddy. Oh my God. Thank goodness you’re here and all right.”

Lydia found herself engulfed in her mother’s embrace. “I told you I was all right on the phone.”

“Just indulge me, okay? It’s been a stressful couple of days.” Her mother pulled back and Lydia saw the tears in her eyes.

She nodded, fighting back the tears herself. “Okay.”

“Come on in. Both of you. James, thanks for driving her.”

“No problem at all.”

Her mother led the way into the house. “Joseph is in the living room.”

“Good.” Mack nodded. “I was hoping we can all sit down and talk.”

Lydia drew in a breath, dreading this discussion but happy he was taking the lead and she wouldn’t have to. Maybe she’d could just sit there and let him do all the talking.

“Sure. We can talk.” Sounding kind of strange, her mother turned toward the sofa. She sat next to Joseph and folded her hands in her lap. “Okay.”

Looking less cool and collected than usual, Mack remained standing while Lydia sat, deciding she might enjoy watching him in the hot seat.

“A couple of things.” Mack turned to glance at Lydia and she felt a little less calm than she had before. “Um, Lydia and I are dating.”

Joseph’s jaw dropped open. Yup. Not what he’d been expecting to hear. The reaction would have been amusing if Lydia wasn’t so nervous herself.

“Really? Since when?” her mother asked.

“Since the brunch.” Mack shocked Lydia by telling something close to the truth.

She didn’t have time to obsess about it because her mother had already jumped up from her seat and had rushed forward to wrap Mack in a hug.

“Oh my God. That is so wonderful.” She spun to Joseph. “Sweetheart, did you hear? They’re dating.”

“I heard.” Joseph eyed his son. “That’s a surprise.”

“I bet it is.” Mack looked a little too satisfied at his father’s shock but it didn’t last long. He turned to focus directly on her mother. “I want to promise you that I will love her and protect her and I will be there for your daughter whenever I possibly can.”

Lydia listened to Mack’s words with a pounding heart and tears in her eyes. He wasn’t a man of many words but those were some pretty good ones he’d picked.
 

Her mother nodded. “I know you will be.”

He held up a hand. “There’s more. There will be times I can’t be here for her, and that’s because I’m—”

“A SEAL. I know.”

Mack’s eyes flew wide at her mother’s words. He shot a glance at his father.

Joseph shrugged. “I’m sorry, son. She’s my wife.”

Her mother laid a hand on Mack’s forearm. “And James, I don’t want you to worry. I would never say anything to put you in jeopardy.”

“I know. Thank you.” Mack still didn’t look thrilled with his father but Lydia didn’t care about that because he’d just said he loved her.

She stood to move toward him, but got waylaid by her mother’s embrace. “Liddy, why didn’t you tell me you two were together?”

Lydia shrugged. “I guess I didn’t think you’d understand.”

“Of course, I understand.” Her mother leaned in closer and dropped her voice as she said, “Goodness, look at him. Who wouldn’t be tempted?”

“Mom!” Lydia laughed and her cheeks heated.

“Liddy, I’m married, not dead.” Her mother glanced at Mack and then back to Lydia. “But can you do me a favor and go talk James out of being angry with his father for telling me?”

Lydia smiled. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Thank you.” Her mother squeezed her hand.

Finally, Lydia was free to walk to where Mack stood pouting by the piano. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He scowled.

She widened her eyes at him. “Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Looking so mad.” She reached out and grabbed his hands in hers. “So, those were some pretty nice things you said.”

His expression softened as he laced his fingers with hers. “Yeah? Which ones you talking about?”

“Something about being here for me, protecting me . . . loving me. Did you mean all that?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” He pulled her a step closer as her heart clenched with all the emotions she felt for him.

“So, I hope Mom made lasagna. I
love
her lasagna.” When he cocked one brow at her, she added, “And I love you.”

“More than lasagna?” he asked.

“Definitely.”

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Across the room, she heard her mother say, “Joseph, come help me in the kitchen. Let’s give James and Liddy some time together.”

When the room was clear, Mack leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. “Any chance you can get her to stop calling me James?”

“Only if you get her to stop calling me Liddy.”

He laughed. “All right. It’s a deal.”

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