Tumult (TSS Series Book 1) by Lea Hart (9)

CHAPTER NINE

Saturday, October 14^th

Audrey opened her door and saw Carrick standing with his duffle and backpack and wondered what the heck was going on. “I enjoyed making out with you, but I’m not ready to move in together.”

“You’re funny, Audrey.” He walked past her and dumped his bags on the floor. “No need for Titan to bill you for my hotel stay.”

“Happy to do it,” Audrey replied as she watched him put his phone on the table.

“I’ll stay with you until we leave on Tuesday.”

Sliding her hand on her hip, she raised an eyebrow. “That’s something we should’ve discussed before you made a unilateral decision.”

Titan is a big corporation and I have no control over what they bill for. I don’t want you stuck with a more significant tab than you already have. I’ll sleep on the couch and that way, by the time we get to Syria, we’ll be well acquainted and better able to navigate the op.”

“It’s a trip, not an op.”

“It’s an op disguised as a trip and the only way we’re going to survive is if we can anticipate each other’s moves because when we need to exfil, it’s got to be clean and tight.”

“Based on the fact that I didn’t understand half of what you just said, it seems like I need to learn SEAL before we leave.”

He bent over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll make sure you’re fluent by the time we’re boots on the ground.”

“I’m going to continue packing and then make a list of what I’m missing.” She walked toward her bedroom and felt him following her. “Are you supervising?”

“I just want to make sure you’re taking the right stuff.”

“Don’t you worry, Carrick, I’m more than prepared for this trip.” Lifting her arm, she swept it over her bed and smiled like a game show host. “My dad has been with LL Bean for over twenty-five years. He started out as the buyer for soft goods, then moved on to footwear, and now does the buying for hard goods. Which means there’s not a piece of clothing, footwear, or outdoor equipment that I do not possess. Granted, most of it is still at my folks’ house in Portland, but I have the right clothes for Syria.”

She watched him as he checked her three pairs of canvas pants in various weights, her T-shirts, thermal shirts, and jacket. “Bet you’re impressed.”

“I have to admit that I am.”

Glancing up, she noticed his look of disbelief. “Did it hurt when you said it?”

He let out a chuckle and shook his head. “No, but I have to say that my first impression of you was pretty inaccurate.”

“I’m afraid to ask, but I can’t help myself…what did you think?”

“When you walked in wearing your tailored business dress, high heels, and perfect hair, I thought you were going to be a pain-in-the-ass princess who was going to be demanding and hard to deal with.”

“And now?”

“Now, I think you’re a savage, unafraid to fight for what you want, and brave enough to go to war for what you deserve.” Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her close and moved his mouth to her ear. “And the most beautiful, desirable woman I have ever met.”

The air in her body suddenly got stuck as Carrick’s words drifted over her and his arms held her tightly. No one had ever said anything so perfect and seen her as clearly as he had. “Thank you, Carrick.”

He kissed her head and she wrapped her arms around his middle and found she quite liked being in his embrace. “Before I get too comfortable, I should finish packing.”

He kissed her head again, then cleared his throat and stepped away. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”

Audrey watched him turn toward the window and discreetly adjust himself. Biting her lip so she wouldn’t laugh, she ducked her head and made sure her socks were folded correctly. “Maybe I should run up to my parents’ house and grab some bedrolls, space blankets, and tactical flashlights.”

“We could do that, but I probably have most everything we need.”

Smoothing out her pile of T-shirts, she shrugged. “I might not have the correct backpack and I know my dad will have just the right thing.”

“If you want to see your folks before we leave, just tell me and I’ll understand.”

Looking up, she felt her emotions unravel ever so slightly. “I’d like to hug my parents before I go, in case something happens.”

Taking one big step, he lifted her in his arms and then sat down in the chair in the corner. “Babe, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. No one is a better protector than me, but if you want to go, then let’s get on the road so we can be there in time for dinner.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I haven’t been on the East coast during fall in years and I wouldn’t mind seeing where you grew up.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Maybe I want to.”

Running her hand over his muscled chest, she let her hand rest against his heart. “There’s no prettier place than Portland in fall.”

“Call your mom and let her know and I’ll rent a car.”

“I have a car in a garage not far from here.”

“Why’d we take the subway then?”

“Because it’s a lot faster than finding parking. I only drive when I go upstate or to see my folks.”

“Let me see your list and I’ll check it against what I have and then you can tell your dad what you need.”

“My mom is going to lose her mind with happiness when she finds out that I’m coming, and my dad will too.”

“Should I get a hotel room?”

“Of course not, the house is big and has six bedrooms.”

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Two brothers and two sisters, I’m the middle child.”

“Explains a lot,” he said as he leaned back and slid his hand under her T-shirt.

When his calloused fingers ran along her back, she shivered with delight as the heat from his hand warmed her. “What about you, Carrick?”

“I’m the oldest of three boys and the only one who didn’t join the family business.”

“Were your parents disappointed when you joined the Navy?”

“My mom wasn’t, but my dad was because he wanted as many of his children involved in the company as possible. I tried my best to get interested after I graduated college, but the convenience store business isn’t where I wanted to spend my life.”

“I can’t really see you sitting at a desk all day, so it makes sense.”

“My mom still wants me to move back to Cincinnati, but I’m not interested because I don’t like the assumptions people make about me because of my family’s wealth. When I joined the Navy, all people cared about was how well I was performing. Less than a handful of people in San Diego know about my family’s money and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Makes sense.” Wiggling, she said, “Let me go, so I can call my mom and pack an overnight bag. We have five hours of driving, so we should get on the road.”

“Roger that.” He slid his hand away from her back and laid it on her cheek. “Give me a kiss first.”

Resting her hand on his cheek, she looked into his deep topaz eyes and found her usual reticence about showing her feelings was notably absent. She lowered her head, touched her lips to his, and he let out a sigh as he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue tangle with hers, creating a heat she had forgotten existed.

Sparks flew between them, igniting the chemistry into flames. Winding her arms around his neck, she kissed him and moved closer…seeking more. He must’ve sensed her need because he took the kiss deeper as he alternated long, lazy strokes of his tongue with faster thrusts, hinting at what might be possible when and if they decided to consummate their attraction to one another.

On and on it went as his hands threaded through her hair, her fingers gripping his T-shirt, and his mouth making love to hers.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on her door and she pulled away. Dazed, she looked around and then pressed her fingers to her lips. Another knock had her moving off his lap. “I should see who it is.”

“Let me.” He stood stiffly and put her on her feet. “Could be anyone.”

Watching him walk out of the bedroom with his hair mussed and his T-shirt wrinkled was going to let whoever was at the door know what they’d been doing. Hearing the door open and then Carrick’s low voice made her wonder who it was. Stepping into the hallway, she saw that it was a messenger with an envelope. Carrick signed for it and then shut the door. “What is it?”

“Something from Titan, probably my passport and paperwork.”

“It might be the new contract.” Holding out her hands, she wiggled her fingers. “Let me see.”

“Patience, woman.” He strode over as he opened it. “It’s both.” He handed her the contract and looked through the paperwork.

“It’s a copy of the revised contract I signed yesterday with my name on it instead of the publisher’s.” Setting it down on the table, she turned and smiled. “Better call mom and let her know we’re coming. If I don’t, then she’ll be mad because she’ll want to make my favorite for dinner.”

“And that is?”

“Chicken pot pie and Caesar salad.”

Tapping her tush, he pointed toward her phone. “Get to it because I don’t want your mom to be unhappy when we arrive.”

“Yes, sir.” She shook her butt and then walked away. Hearing the sound of his rough laughter was welcome and, unfortunately, the week in Syria probably wasn’t going to give her the chance to hear it very often. 

***

The sun was starting to set as Carrick drove along the I-95N through New Hampshire in Audrey’s Subaru Forester. It had taken more than a bit of convincing for her to allow him to drive, but once he told her it would be worth it in the long run, she had acquiesced.

Not defining what the “worth it” could possibly mean didn’t seem to faze her like he thought it would, and he assumed since she was a talented and successful trial lawyer, she was giving him the win in exchange for a peaceful drive.

Call him a control freak, but he was a lousy passenger and she must’ve sensed it because when she handed him the car keys, she gave him a pitying smile and climbed into the car. Which was probably going to define their relationship going forward.

And, yeah, a small part of him wanted something with Audrey that lasted beyond this assignment. Which was some crazy shit as far as he was concerned. Not once in his thirty-five years had he ever wanted much more than a couple of weeks with a woman.

Brendan and Locke had always said it was because he had a short attention span, but he knew it stemmed from not meeting anyone who A) was interested in him for more than his family’s money and B) he was interested in, beyond the physical.

Audrey was smart as hell, curious, and had her own dreams and plans that had nothing to do with him and what he could do for her. Beyond his ability to protect her, he didn’t have a thing she needed. And nothing made him happier because when he was growing up, there were a lot of girls interested in his family, and then when he’d joined the Teams, there were women who were frog hogs and liked to bed a SEAL whenever they could. Both situations had afforded him opportunities that he’d definitely taken advantage of, but they were never more than a one-time roll in the sheets.

Glancing over, he saw her looking out the window as she sang silently along to whatever song was playing in her headphones. Not one to fill space with empty chatter, she had been in her own musical world for the last couple of hours, and he hoped she was going to be done soon.

There was an unfamiliar hunger beating in his chest to find out what made her tick, and he wanted to get to know her. Which was as about as unfamiliar to him as anything could be. Was it possible she could feel the same way about him?

If she did, he might be in trouble because he wasn’t half as interesting as her because his life had been built around a singular focus since he’d joined the Navy. He’d never had much opportunity or inclination to spend a lot of time focusing on anything outside his career and knew that was going to have to change. Not only because he wanted to evolve as a human being, but because Audrey wouldn’t be interested in him otherwise.

Flipping the visor down against the sun, he felt something on his leg and looked down. He saw Audrey’s small hand rest on his jeans and was surprised how happy the gesture made him. He looked over and saw her still looking out the window with her mouth moving and realized it was simply a sign of affection and nothing more.

A rare occurrence in his life.

Smiling, he laced their fingers together and felt a warm feeling spread across his chest that he probably hadn’t experienced since he was a kid. It was like Christmas morning, his birthday, and coming home to find his mom had made his favorite cake rolled into one.

“Carrick.”

Turning, he saw she’d slipped her headphones off and was looking at him. “Yeah, babe.”

“Need to make a pit stop.”

“Roger that, I’ll get off at the next exit.”

“It has to be a fast-food restaurant, not a gas station. I can’t go potty in a gross bathroom.”

“All right.”

“And before you ask, I’ll be fine in Syria. I’d rather pee outside than in a disgusting bathroom.”

He tightened his hold on her hand and nodded. “Good to know.” Seeing a sign for McDonald’s, he pulled off and parked before a couple of minutes had passed. “Go on and I’ll meet you inside.”

“Okay.”

He watched her get out of the car and run into the restaurant and wondered if she really was going to survive the brutal conditions they were about to be living in for a week. Not having a clue either way, he decided not to worry about it. They were in it together and, one way or another, they’d make it work.

Taking a quick walk around the parking lot to stretch his legs, he then ambled into McDonald’s and saw Audrey in line. He joined her, wrapped his arms around her middle, and rested his chin on top of her head. “What are you getting?”

“A Diet Coke and an apple pie. They’re baked now instead of fried so they’re not as good as they used to be.” She looked up and grinned. “Want one?”

“No, because I don’t want to be full when I sit down at your mom’s table.”

“Unless you’re a mouse, that’s not possible because they’re tiny.” She leaned against him and let out a laugh. “If you’re watching your girlish figure, just say so and I won’t tempt you.”

“I’m 6’4” and over two hundred and forty pounds. There’s nothing girlish about me.”

“Is that a yes—I want an apple pie or a no?”

“I’ll have a root beer and an order of fries.”

“Salty.”

“Always.” When the line moved, he released his hold and stepped forward. “We have about an hour and a half before we get to Portland, do you think just the one pie will hold you over?”

“If you want to live a long and healthy life, never make a snide comment about what I eat.”

“Noted.” Feeling an elbow in his stomach, he stepped back and laughed because Audrey was never going to let him get away with anything.

A prospect he couldn’t be happier about.