Two Weeks With a SEAL (The Wakefield Romance Series) (22 page)

"
Where's your
boyfriend?"
Jesse sneered, snatching the beer from my hand and
drinking a huge portion of it before the protest even left my lips.

"Won't you guys
ever grow up," I yell, getting Kendall to whip around and slap the beer
bottle from Jesse's lips. Her action warranted a few looks from patrons, but
they quickly looked away, deterred by the presence of Duke. The bottle smashed
on the wooden floor, shards of glass and foam spewing out for a few feet making
a few locals take a couple of steps back to avoid the spray. "You guys to
need to leave us the fuck alone," I grind out, my teeth clenched as I lock
my eyes on Duke's face, the anger boiling inside when I see his cocky grin.
"Besides, where's your little
girlfriend
?" That got him to
drop the grin and replace it with an awful sneer.

"Holly and I aren't
dating, you know that," he almost hissed in my face, the smell of beer and
chew washing over me, along with the spicy scent of his Tommy Hilfiger cologne,
which he always put too much of on. "I want you, Rhea. I've always wanted
you." His face softens a little to the point where I remember why I was
attracted to him. He was good looking. His blue-green eyes could shine like little
marbles in the light, sparkling and seemingly seeing into my soul.

"Duke you shouldn't
say shit like that," I scold, giving him my best indifferent raised
eyebrow. "If you had wanted me, you woulda stopped sleepin’ with every
girl in town the first time we hooked up," I shrugged, turning my legs
toward Kendall and accepting the new beer from Brad, who stood idly by keeping
a watchful eye on us. "Just please, leave me alone. Leave me and Chad
alone. We're happy,"

"You're not
happy," he says, grabbing my shoulder and spinning me towards him, "I
can see it on your face. You're not happy cuz that ass is gonna leave and
you'll be alone jus like always. Me, I'm not leavin. I'll be here for you, to
build that family I know you've dreamed of. Come on now Ray," he says, his
hand caressing my arm, resting on my wrist. I shake my hand from his fingers,
interlacing them with Kendall's as she grabs my arm, pulling it to her lap to
try and shield me from him. I can see Brad get out from behind the bar to my
right and weave through the crowd, disappearing around the wall into the next
room. Shit was going to go down, and fast. I had to diffuse the situation.

"Duke,
listen," I say, turning and facing him full on, forcing Kendall to turn
with me because our hands are still entwined, "what we had was just a
fling. You have to get over it, leave me be. Just please," I say, putting
my hand on his elbow, feeling him tense through his shirt makes me recoil. The
hurt on his face is evident, but he hurt me too. If he had had feelings for me,
don't you think he would have kept it in his pants? Only makes sense to me.
"Just please, let me be happy. Let me and Chad be happy together. There
are plenty of other girls who want piece of you, so let them.."

"I don't want any
other girl," he yelled, grabbing me by my elbows and pulling me from the
stool to be inches from his face. His grip was tight on my arms and I was
trying to wiggle from his grasp, but he held me tight as the bar got silent.
The only noise being the jukebox, blaring Tim McGraw's "Live Lie you were
Dyin'". "I want you," he said, shaking me slightly. Kendall shot
from her stool, pushing at Duke's chest and arms trying to get him to let go of
me, but Jarrod wrapped his arms around her, holding her arms to her body.

"Hey," the
deep voice boomed over the jukebox, a large hand that I recognized gripping
into Duke's shirt, swinging him around releasing his grip on my arms. In two
seconds flat, Harlan had Jarrod by the throat, Kendall scrambling to wrap her
arms around mine as we backed up against the bar. Chad seemed to have flames in
his eyes as he looked to me, roaming my figure taking mental note that I'm
okay.

"Get the fuck outta
here," he spews at Duke, his nose and chest bumping against Duke's as he
backs him through the room. Duke stumbles over chairs and almost knocks over
more than one table. Jesse and Garth were in tow, but not before I see Garth
pass an apologizing look over at Brad. Weird, but I shake it off as I hear
Jarrod start to yell, still nose to nose with Harlan as they were ushered to
the door. Brad corralled them all with a Louisville slugger in hand.

I saw Chad push Duke
back so that he ran into the door, shaking the wall and making some of the
patrons gasp in anticipation of the fight and it made me take flight. I ran across
the massive bar dining room, jumping over the fallen chairs and dodging the
locals, Kendall on my heels. "Stop," I screamed, out of breath,
wedging myself between Chad and Duke just as I could tell Duke was ready to
strike. My back was pressed up against Chad's front and I can feel his heart
racing, his chest heaving in and out as his hands clenched at his sides.

"Stop," I
breathe out again, my eyes locking onto Duke's, pulling his gaze from Chad's
face, "Just leave, please. I don't want you guys to fight, God knows
that's the last thing I want so please, just leave Duke." He was fuming
and I gripped my hands into the thighs of Chad's jeans behind me, bracing
myself for a blowup, but it didn't come.

"Fine," Duke
huffed, shaking his shoulders, I guess to try and get rid of some of the
tension, looking to Jesse and the others. "Let's go somewhere else
boys," he nods to his three companions, not looking at me again as he
turned and shoved the door open, making it crack against the outside of the
building. My hands were still gripping Chad's jeans as I look over to Kendall
and Harlan, holding my breath as Jarrod and him stood face to face still.
Kendall had her left arm draped across Harlan's chest as her right wrapped
around his waist and her cheek rested on his shoulder, her eyes looking to me
for support. "Jarrod!" Duke's voice boomed into the now quieted bar,
slowly pulling him away from his confrontation with Harlan.

"This is fucked up
Ken," he spat at her, rolling his brown eyes as he looked back at Harlan,
"fucked up." He straightened his shirt and turned out the doorway,
swinging the door shut in our faces, leaving us in a stunned silence.

I heaved a huge sigh, my
hands still tangled in Chad's jeans as I pulled his front tighter to my back,
his arms wrapping around me as my head tilted back to his chest.
"Everybody back to your business," I hear Brad yell, like he always
does after a fight and the slow hum of activity started to fill the space
around us.

Chad said nothing, just
tilted my face up to look into his eyes, placing his lips lightly over mine,
reassuring me with those simple actions. We stood there while people milled
around us, Chad's face nuzzled into my neck as he held me, swaying slightly
back and forth as if he was rocking me. My eyes were closed, enjoying the feel
of his arms around me, his breath on my neck and his Old Spice scent washing
over me. God, I loved this man.

"Come on
guys," Kendall's voice pulled me from Chad and mine's little moment and I
notice her lips are bright pink, a telltale sign that her and Harlan had been
making out while Chad and I were absorbed in each other.
Tssk tssk
, I
think to myself, watching Kendall as she wipes her fingers by the sides of her
mouth, subconsciously making sure her lips gloss wasn't smeared. "Let's
get a drink," one of her hands grabs mine as she pulls us back to the bar,
signaling for a round.

How many rounds we went
through, I don't remember as Chad helps me into the cab of his truck. Kendall
shouts a rowdy goodnight from their three spaces down and I giggle, leaning
across Chad and waving frantically out the window. I slid the center console up
and snuggled into his side as we headed home. "Home," I mumble
against his shirt, burrowing my face into his chest, "our home."

"Our home," I
hear him reply, squeezing my shoulder pulling me tighter to his side. I love it
when he does that. It makes me feel wanted and safe. His warmth seeps into my
chest and I feel content. I doze off somewhere between the bar parking lot and
our driveway. The next thing I feel are Chad's arms lifting me from the truck,
the door slamming shut and the front porch light coming into a blurry focus.

I raise my head from his
shoulder as he unlocks the front door and I try to get down to take my boots
off, but Chad holds me tight. "Never mind takin' your shoes off down
here," he says in my ear as he lets me down slowly, "up to bed with
you. I'm gonna grab a snack." He swatted me on the butt as I made my way
to the stairs, gripping the banister to steady my ascent.

The bed never felt so
soft as when I flopped down onto it, splayed out and just lying there, closing
my eyes and giving in to my drunken state. I giggle thinking about Chad
downstairs rummaging through the fridge, making himself a sandwich to snack on,
his sleeves rolled up, his hair pulled back in a small ponytail.

"Mmmm," I
mumble to myself, my heart jumping to a fast beat as my mind raced around the
options of the scene I had built for myself. Yes, I was drunk, but I wasn't
drunk to the point where I can't function. Adrenaline filled my veins I strip
my boots, shirts, jeans and socks off, leaving them all on the bedroom floor as
I quietly slipped down the stairs in only my lace bra and panties.

He did look yummy
standing with his back up against the island, the fridge cracked open emanating
the only light in the kitchen. He was munching away on a sandwich, his one leg
propped up on the cabinet with his cowboy boot slightly shaking as he chewed
away on his late night snack. I leaned on the door frame, clearing my throat
loudly getting his blue eyes to shoot my way.

"Babe, what are you…"
his words stopped as his eyes tried to focus on my shadowed figure. I can see
him squinting and it makes me giggle. I can see him set his half eaten sandwich
on the island as I walked slowly behind it towards the table. "What are
you doin' girl," he asks and I can hear the glimmer in his voice and see
the smile caress his lips as he turns to watch me.

"I... was
hungry," I smile at him as I step into the chair, making sure he got a
good look at the backside of my lace panties as I boosted myself to sit on the
edge of the table, facing him. I leaned back, supporting my slanted figure with
my arms braced on the table top, crossing and uncrossing my legs suggestively,
seeing the sly smile crease Chad's lips as he abandoned the fridge, casting the
room into total darkness.

My eyes tried to focus
in on him approaching me, his warm hands on my thighs making me jump as he gets
to me quickly. I can hear the chair that was in front of me scratch the floor
as he pushes it to the side quickly, taking its place in front of me, his touch
making my skin fill with goose-bumps. "I thought maybe you could make me a
snack too," I whisper as his face finally comes into focus, his blue eyes
burning a path over my body.

"Hmmm," he
mumbled, his lips up to my ear, "I don't know what you want." His
lips traced my ear lobe, causing me to arch into him, my lips parting as the
sensation sent lightening throughout my nerves. My hands roamed over his chest,
popping the buttons of his shirt and pulling it from his waistband along with
the t-shirt that was underneath. I run my hands up and under, over his warm
muscles. They twitched under my fingertips, his mouth covering mine in a long
hot kiss as his hands roaming over my legs, hips and chest, pulling at the lace
fabric.

"You have exactly
what I want," I breathe into his ear as he trails kisses down my neck,
over my shoulder then down my chest. I wrapped my legs around his waist,
tugging him to me as my hands unhooked his belt. This man drove me crazy.

He drove me crazy on
every surface of the kitchen.

How am I going to occupy
myself when he's gone??

January 28, 2012

Chad

I was so happy right
now. Rhea was curled into my chest, her dyed black hair messed and curly all
over my arm and shoulder as I twist a lock of it around my finger. She is sound
asleep, her breathing deep and even, her eyes fluttering slightly every now and
then with a smile seemingly tattooed on her lips. She had taken my breath away,
showing up in the kitchen in nothing but her skimpy lace bra and panties,
practically begging me to take her, which I obliged without question because I
love this woman with every cell of my being.

I'm going to hate
leaving her on Monday. I know she'll cry. She might not do it in front of me,
but I know it'll come. I want her to feel safe. I want her to not worry, but
that I can't control. She'll worry about me just like I'll worry about her.
God,
I don't want to leave her!

But I do love my job. I
love protecting my country, I love helping the innocent and hurting. If Randy
was still here, leaving Rhea would be easier because I would have him to
reassure me that she'll be fine. Plus, Randy loved being a SEAL as much as I
do. I smile to myself as I think about a mission that Randy talked about
constantly after it was finished.

It was about six months
before Randy was killed and we were in the jungles of Korea. It was hot, it was
sticky and we were going after a couple of captured CIA agents. A search-and-rescue
operation. We were in full jungle gear, the dark green camo complete with black
and green face paint, trudging through the thick brush, skirting the edge of a
drug manufacturing facility. The chain-link fences were about twelve feet high,
Randy giving me a smirk as he cut a patch out.