Two Weeks With a SEAL (The Wakefield Romance Series) (11 page)

"Mine,"
Timmons yelled, releasing Kendall and jogging over to me, a sly smile on his
face as he said thank you, quickly returning to my best friend's side. It
wasn't as cold today as it had been and I shed my sweatshirt, tossing it in the
backseat of Chad's truck as he snapped his bed cover down, shoving his tailgate
up. Hugging everyone, I issue my 'see ya laters', watching the silver Jeep
Wrangler depart with Rosa and Reno and the three other trucks bob and rumble
down the single land road, past the tree line and out of sight.

I sighed heavily,
leaning my head back against the passenger seat, Chad's hand finding mine as
his Chevy roared to life. I met his eyes, a weak smile crossing my lips as Chad
kissed my palm, pressing it against his cheek letting his beard tickle my
flesh. "I love you," I whispered, my eyes on the verge of watering,
causing me to have to look away, out the windshield at the highway before us.

"I love you
too," he whispered against my wrist, kissing it one more time before
moving our joined hands to his leg, squeezing my fingers tight. I fell asleep
during our drive, enjoying Chad's body heat as I snuggled up against his side
as he drove, waking only as he put his truck in park out in front of my double
wide. "I think you should move into my house," he said as I
stretched, my face snapping around to look at his as my shoulders popped. I
gave him a questioning look and he just smiled that crooked smile, "I
think you should move in with me," he shrugged his shoulders.

I was at a loss for
words. This was something I had only dreamed of up until now, moving in with
the man of my dreams. Was this for real? I pinched myself on the thigh through
my jeans, and feeling it, I knew it was reality. "Are you sure," I
ask, my face probably still displaying a disbelieving look.

"Of course I
am," he laughed, pulling my forehead to his lips, his fingers tangled in
my hair, "I don't want you to be alone, and if you move in with me, my mom
will be only feet away if you need her." He kissed my lips tenderly,
"Plus, I want you in
my
house, putting
your
finger prints on
my things since your hand already holds
my
heart."

Seriously?
I looked around me as if to spy a man with a
microphone ready to pop from the bushes and yell, "
Haha, you're on
Candid Camera
!" I gave Chad a confused look, my mouth opening and
closing as if I couldn't form the words. His expression going from happy to sad
in a second, but I couldn't let him think my speechlessness was a refusal, so I
grabbed his face, bringing his mouth to mine. I kissed him with everything I
had, pushing him back to straddle his lap in the driver’s seat, a smile
breaking my lips. I wove my fingers into his grey streaked dirty blonde hair,
pulling it so that he couldn't move his face from mine. I kissed him, moving my
lips and tongue with his till his breathing was fast and shallow, his hands
gripping the waist of my jeans.

"Of course I
will," I whisper against his swollen lips, nipping lightly at the bottom
one before swinging his door open and hopping out. "I'm gonna go grab some
more of my clothes," I wink at him, jogging up the porch steps, unlocking
the door in a flash. I stuffed random clothing into an old suitcase, not caring
if they got wrinkled, throwing shoes and boots on top of them and zipping it
shut. Throwing some of the food that was in my cupboards and fridge into plastic
bags, I fling open the front door, waving for Chad to come get them as I went
back in for more. Emptying my fridge of all the food that was un-opened or only
half gone, we pack Chad's truck to the brim, promising to come back over the
next week to get everything else.

On the way to his house
across town I dialed my work, my manager Jenna answering on the second ring.
"Hey," I say, twirling Chad's Navy ring around his middle finger as
his hand rested on the center console, "I'm gonna cash in some of my
vacation." Telling her the story in short detail, I relayed my need to
stay with Chad, to be there to make every moment count and Jenna understood.
She made it so that I was off for the next week and a half, using some of the
three months of vacation and paid sick days I had accumulated. I smiled at Chad
as I hung up the phone, pulling into his drive to see his mom out raking some
leaves in the yard, her warm wave making my heart lift.

His mom threw her arms
wide as we got out of the truck, coming up and wrapping her arms around me,
"I've missed you guys," she said, kissing my cheek. I had to stifle a
laugh as Chad made faces over her shoulder as she hugged and kissed him, her
smiling face returning to me. "There's an awful lot of stuff in this
truck," her raised eyebrow inspected me, it only growing in suspicion as I
could feel the blush filling my face.

"Mom," Chad
said sternly bringing her attention to him and I release a breath I had no idea
that I was holding, "I asked Rhea to move in with me and she said
yes." His smile was contagious and as Dana turned her open mouthed look to
me I couldn't help but grin ear to ear. The squeal that came from her made me
cringe as she ran at me, wrapping her arms around me squeezing me tight, the
joy running through her to me as happy tears came to my eyes.

"Oh my God, I
thought this would never happen," she said into my ear, kissing my cheek
and placing a hand on each, pulling my face so that she could look at me. She
kissed me on each cheek again before running back over to her son and hugging
him tight, Chad picking her up and spinning her around making me laugh. We
unloaded the truck with her help making plans to go out to dinner around six as
she left us to put our things away.

Lugging two of my duffel
bags up the stairs, I ran my fingers along the plain white wall, Chad's voice
coming from the landing above me, "You can paint if you want," his
crooked smile went to my fingers that were on the wall and I let my arm fall to
my side, shaking my head. He took one of the bags, interlacing his fingers into
my freed hand, pulling me to him for a sweet kiss. "While I'm out of the
country, make this your home," he whispered against my forehead and I
cringed at the thought of him leaving, closing my eyes as his hand came up to
cup my cheek.

"Please," I
whisper, dropping the bag and wrapping my arms around his waist as he ran both
of his hands across my cheeks, interlacing his fingers in my hair and tilting
my face up to his, "let's not talk about that now. Let's just focus on
this week, this moment, right here and now." On my tip toes I kiss him, my
nose rubbing against his in a slight Eskimo kiss. "When you're gone I'll
have all the time in the world to occupy myself with things that will keep my
mind from missing you, if that's even possible, but for right now, I just want
to be us." His smile makes those happy tears edge my lashes as he picks up
the bags, literally throwing them in the bedroom, swinging me up in his arms
and kicking the door shut as he tosses me on the bed, my sharp laughs bouncing
off of the walls like I did on the mattress.

We climbed out of bed
around five-thirty Chad helping me rummage through my scattered things trying
to find my black sweater dress to wear to dinner. He threw on a pair of black
slacks and a red dress shirt with a silver tie, jogging down the stairs when we
heard Dana enter, yelling her 'hello' loud enough to wake the dead. I laughed,
pulling on my leggings because Dana probably yelled like that in case we were
'busy', to give us a little warning. Pinning my bangs up, curling a few strands
with my finger and some hairspray, I lined my eyes with silver, black mascara
and for the first time in years, I put on red lipstick. Brushing my cheeks with
some powder, I pulled my black leather, kitten heel, knee high boots from my
plastic tote, hopping to the landing, smiling at Dana down in the living room
as she looked up at me.

She was in a purple
satin dress and it blew my mind that she wasn't re-married, being a catch that
any guy would be lucky to have. "You look hot," I smile at her as she
blushes, kissing my cheek. We all climbed into Chad's truck, me in the backseat
as a courtesy to Dana, chatting the entire hour long drive to 'Le Yaca', a
French restaurant that was famous for their truffle and Chateaubriand stuffed
crepes. Chad telling the maitre 'd his name and that we had reservations we
only had to wait about thirty seconds, which was new to me, before we were
seated. Chad held out both of our chairs as Dana and I sat. I had never been in
here and it was magnificent, the colors and the atmosphere.

I couldn't help but let
a dumb-founded look cross my face as I looked around taking in the darkened,
large space, the candles, the violin and piano music. I smoothed my hands over
the sweater material of my dress, my eyes meeting Chad's as he smiled at me, a
slight laugh coming off his lips. "Don't laugh at me," I swat him on
the thigh under the table while with the other hand I tug at his little
ponytail. Dana laughs slightly at us, looks coming our way from the tables
around ours.

"Geez, I can't take
you ladies anywhere," Chad says loud enough for everyone to hear, Dana
breaking one of the thin, crunchy breadsticks in half and throwing it at him,
getting some laughs from the people around us. The three of us talked about the
menu, Dana settling on the Brandied roasted duck as I saw that those famous
crepes were fifty-five dollars, for one, and I let out a heavy sigh.

"Get whatever you
want," Chad whispered into my ear, his lips lightly brushing the lobe and
making me shiver, goose bumps raising all over my skin. I himmed and hawed over
the menu till the waiter came, Dana ordering her duck, Chad ordering the
Chateaubriand dish that came with roasted vegetables and a red wine sauce. Then
it was my turn and I still hadn't decided.

Feeling their eyes on
me, I handed the waiter my menu, smiling at him and saying, "May I just
have the sea bass please," he nodded, turned to leave when Chad grabbed
his arm. "Can we have a bottle each of your best Boudreaux and
champagne?" The waiter issued an 'of course sir', leaving us with a smile,
my eyes were wide as I looked at Chad.

"You shouldn't be
wasting your money on me," I say, passing a look to Dana who acted like
she was intently fixing the napkin in her lap, totally leaving me out to dry
with her son.

"My money will
never be wasted on you," he smiled, taking my hand to his lips and kissing
my knuckles, "it's good to splurge every once in a while." My eyes
were on my empty plate when Dana's hand found my knee, shaking it, her smile
warming my heart. I didn't want Chad to spend his money on me like this, not
when he was facing the unknown in a week. I would much rather be at his house,
in our pajama's curled up on the couch with Chinese takeout containers dotting
the coffee table. Maybe that could be tomorrow as I smile at him, squeezing his
fingers in mine, knowing that I have an entire week with this man to show him
how he made me feel.

My palate was bombarded
with soup, salad, before my wonderful sea bass and then a splendid chocolate
soufflé, my spoon falling into the tiny dish as I wipe at my lips, a content
sigh passing through them as I leaned back in my chair. Dana had consumed three
quarters of the bottle of Boudreaux, her cheeks rosy as she takes another sip,
a happy smile on her face and I spare Chad a look, his raised eyebrow bringing
a slight laugh out. Leaning in Chad says, "I think my mom is drunk,"
his laugh and beard tickling my ear, my giggle trailing away as I spy two
approaching figures, the man wearing a worn Dale Earnhardt hat.

"Hey boy,"
Duke issues, his bottom lip full of chew, the brown residue stuck all over his
bottom teeth. Chad rolls his eyes, turning to face him and his companion,
Wakefield town whore, Holly Unger. I looked her up and down as she did the same
to me, her heavy makeup laden eyes rolling as they met mine. She was wearing a
very short, very tight, lycra fabric hot pink dress, the top of it barely
covering her enormous breasts. She had bleached hair with her brown roots showing,
the underside dyed neon blue. It was down and messed, looking like the two of
them had just stepped out of a backseat, which considering the people, might
not be far from the truth. Her fake nails were long and adorned with outrageous
designs, her fingers filled with rings and both of her wrists covered with fake
diamond bracelets. Her shoes were 'stripper' heels, the platform bottom
accentuated by the seven-inch heel. They were clear and they lit up each time
she stepped, the tops being silver glitter. "Hey boy, I'm talkin' to
you," Duke issued again, his arms crossing over his chest.

"I hear ya,"
Chad said, turning his back to Duke and giving his mom a raised eyebrow as she
reached under the table, gripping my hand, "but I'm tryin' to enjoy my
quiet dinner here with my lady and my mama. So if you would," Chad waved
his hand over his shoulder in a 'shoo' motion, Duke's face turning beet red in
anger. The maitre 'd came over, asking if anything was wrong, Duke putting his
arm across the man's chest.

"Nothin's' wrong
here," he said, the skinny, tuxedoed man backing away from our table.
"You," Duke tapped Chad on the shoulder, hard, the sound echoing
through the room. Chad's jaw clenched in anger, "You and I need to have a
lil' chat outside."

"Duke, you need to
go away," I say, my hand being squeezed by Chad as his anger boiled.

"Shut up
skank," Holly's high pitched squeak chimed in, flaring my anger. Her eyes
looked me up and down again, her hand on her curvy hip as it jutted my way. I
had a short fuse and Duke knew that, a smile crossing his lips as I jolted to
my feet, getting in that little whore's face, Chad standing up at my side. The
maitre 'd came back into my peripheral vision, asking again if anything was
wrong.