Dana put the finishing touches on her copy and queued up her footage. Bowie had been deployed for so long, she’d lost track of the time. In the interim, she ended up going to DC and finishing her interview with Hector Salazar, only she’d put her own spin on the finished product. Her new boss loved the angle. It hadn’t taken them long to bond and become good friends. The picture of Bowie she’d taken in the jungle sat on her desk. She stared at it, picking it up, missing him. Their last Skype session too long ago.

Sara walked in the office, looking as put together as usual. The woman knew how to wear anything designer and wear it to the max, her long blond hair clipped at the nape of her neck. Dana guessed she was somewhere in her mid-thirties. She knew that body had been developed over Pilates, good nutrition and yoga.

“How long has it been?” Sara asked.

“Too long,” Dana replied and set the photo down.

“When was the last time you heard from him?”

Dana sighed. “Just a week, but I miss his physical presence.”

“From that picture, I assume it’s pretty damn potent. He is one gorgeous hunk of man.” She sat down. “How do you handle that?”

Dana folded her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair. “I know he’s coming home to me.” She leaned forward and woke her computer. “I wanted to—”

“Uh, Dana?” Sara’s gaze sharpened then she smiled.

“What?” Dana said, focusing on Sara’s joyful grin.

“I think your wait is over.” She nudged her chin toward the outer office.

“What…?” Dana said swiveling in her chair. Her breath caught like it always did, like it always would.

He was walking through the newsroom, female heads turning, eyes full of appreciation and envy. He was still in uniform, straight off the plane it seemed. The only thing missing was that wicked rifle and the pack he carried. He looked way too sexy and her whole body heated. They watched his progress, big, beautiful and fresh from battle.

Their eyes met across the space, and she smiled. He smiled back. The kind of smile that told her handholds were in her not too distant future.

“I assume you’re taking the rest of the day off.”

Dana didn’t even look at her boss. “Yeah,” she said and got up, leaving everything running. Sara would take care of it for her.

When she reached him, she said softly, “Hello, sailor. Wanna have a good time?”

He grinned. “With a cupcake?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“You’re not the argumentative type, are you? I can’t stand it when a woman doesn’t know her place.”

“What kind of question is that to ask a grown woman?” She poked him in the chest. “You caveman.”

He chuckled, his eyes telling her that’s exactly the answer he was looking for. He kissed her in front of everyone. She melted against him while the office breathed a collective sigh and went back to work.

“Let’s go home,” he whispered.

* * *

Early evening light filtered in the windows as he shifted on the bed, a kind of stillness settling in that could only be found in deep contentment.

Dana lay on her stomach, sheets twisted around them both. Just barely awake and fuzzy from sleep and a night of very good loving. He was determined they weren’t moving from this spot for days…weeks.

“How did it go?”

“You know I work with knuckleheads, right?”

“Yes,” she breathed, wrapping her arm around him. “Everyone is safe?”

Her voice was hushed, and he understood that it wasn’t only him she worried about. “Kid fell down an embankment right into a camp of tangos. But he came up fighting and did it with so much grace and finesse, the baddies a few feet away didn’t even know it happened.”

She covered her mouth and shook her head. “That guy…he’s something else.”

He worried about Kid more than once, something drove that boy, and it had nothing to do with an adrenaline rush. Ruckus hoped he figured it out before it killed him. “He’s a menace and freaking amazing SEAL. A few cuts and scrapes. The rest of them are fine. We got the job done without incident.” Of course, he couldn’t tell her what the job was, but Dana never pressed him for details. She didn’t care what they were doing, she knew all of it was dangerous. She only cared about them making it home in one piece.

“That is all that matters. Job accomplished, everyone safe. I’ll take it.” She kissed his mouth. “Especially you.”

She didn’t ask him how much time he had before he was called in again. None of them knew that. They were at Uncle Sam’s mercy and damned glad to be doing what they did every day. But loving this woman, that was icing on the cupcake.

When the pounding came from the door downstairs, Ruckus sighed. “You know they can’t leave me alone for one friggin’ day.”

She laughed. You’d better go open it up or they’ll come storming in here like commandos.”

They got out of bed, went downstairs and with a growl, he pulled the door open. “Don’t you guys have something better to do?” They walked in; Kid with Mia, his girl wrapped around him, the other guys were all solo except Scarecrow who had a cute brunette on his arm.

“Sorry, LT. It’s mandatory we have a drink after we get home. You’ve had all day with your darlin’.” One by one they filed past him. Some kissing Dana on the cheek, others picking her up in a bear hug and Tank swinging her around.

Her phone chimed, and she answered, then smiled. “I don’t know. Let me see if he’s up for it.”

He raised his brow when she covered the phone. “You want to meet my boss? She told me she couldn’t wait any longer. Drinks?”

“Drinks sound great,” Kid said and the other guys chimed in.

Ruckus turned toward the stairs, grabbing Dana’s hand. “We better get dressed, then,” he said.

“You do know that means you put her clothes on, not take them off,” Hollywood said.

“Shut up,” Ruckus growled.

Hours later, he’d met Sara and everyone was having a great time. Kid was over near the bar toying with Mia’s hair, his eyes on her. There was something off with the way she was looking at Kid, and Ruckus felt his gut tighten. The rest of them were either dancing or hitting on Sara. She wasn’t complaining.

Then his gaze went to Dana who was playing pool with Cowboy, who was quite a shark, but she was holding her own. Just like she had with Salazar, in the steaming jungle of the Gap, every step of the way with him. She was magnificent.

He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and fingered the small box there. He was going to wait, but now, surrounded by everyone seemed like the perfect time.

He pushed back his chair and walked to the pool table just as she sunk the eight ball. Cowboy was grinning, but when he saw Ruckus crossing the room, his eyes glittered. He motioned everyone over.

He took her hand as she laid the pool cue down. She was still smiling at having beat Cowboy. “Will you marry me?”

Her breath caught and that smile on her face faltered. He pulled the box out of his pocket, his fingers not quite steady. She looked down at it then back up at him, her eyes tearing up, his chest filling up with more emotions than he could define, but one he was sure he knew what it was. Love.

She stared at him for an instant longer; then she closed her eyes and came into his arms, holding on to him with a desperate strength. Closing his own eyes, Ruckus roughly turned his face against her neck, locking his arms around her.

“I’ll marry you, yes.”

He grasped the back of her head. “I love you, Dana,” he whispered unevenly.

She clung to him, then drew a deep breath, whispering huskily, “I love you, too, Bowie. So much.”

She kissed him, a shiver of sensation washing through him. She was so soft, so lovely and all his.

Exhaling hard, he caught her face in his hands, then reluctantly lifted his head. Tipping her face up, he gave her another soft, gentling kiss. Then he looked down at her, his gaze very serious. “You’re not even going to look at the ring?”

“It’s really pretty,” Tank said and everyone chuckled.

It was clear it wasn’t the ring she was interested in, but she allowed him their moment as he opened the box. From her expression, he could tell she loved it. He slipped it on, and there was a collective sigh from the men and few women around them.

Kid muscled Ruckus out of the way and took her hand. “Will you marry us, too?”

She smiled softly and said, “That’s going to be a passel of wifely duties.”

Kid’s eyes went sly. “We know better than that. It’s just that if you marry our LT, well, figuratively, you marry all of us. So I thought I would ask, make it official.”

“You’d better watch your step, Kid,” Dana said wryly.

Kid’s head whipped around to Ruckus, his eyes narrowing. Ruckus could only laugh. Kid needed the humility of knowing that he’d told Dana about his fall.

He turned back to Dana. “I think I have his permission.”

She gave Ruckus a bemused look. “Okay, yes, I’m all in. With all of you.” She hugged Kid and kissed him on the cheek, then the rest of them.

After all the accolades and hugging were over, Kid held out his hand. “Pay up boys.” He smirked while all the guys slapped money into his hand.

“Hey, what was that all about?”

Kid, laughed and started backing up. “We bet she’d say no. Kid was the only one who thought she’d say yes to marrying us all.”

“He is much too smart for his britches,” Scarecrow said.

“Yeah,” Cowboy said, eyeing Kid. “Let’s take him down a notch.”

Kid backed up, “Hey, come on guys,” he said as he dashed away. While the bar emptied of his buddies all after Kid, Ruckus pulled Dana against him.

“You’re sure you want to deal with those knuckleheads?”

“Oh, yes. I’m no dummy, marry you, marry your team. We’re family after all.”

He closed his eyes. “I guess women can sometimes have something really smart and profound to say.”

“Oh you—” she started.

“Caveman,” he finished, covering her mouth. Yeah, he knew how to keep his sassy cupcake quiet and satisfied. Something he was going to perfect for the rest of their life.

* * *

Book 2 in the SEAL Team Alpha series, Kid Chaos, is next. Here’s a little bit about it:

Kid's a bit gun shy getting involved again when he'd just had his heart torn out. After months of struggling with his break-up of another babe who doesn't understand him, he goes on leave. A vacation is just what he needs until the American beauty from Going Down Tours in Bolivia catches his eye. Kid is there for a couple of weeks to take in the diverse biking adventures offered by the company. Except this babe isn't exactly what she seems, and Kid finds himself in her bed and body before he realizes what kind of danger he's just gotten himself into, not including falling for his sexy guide.

Paige Sinclair is undercover for NCIS and she has no time to get caught up in the cutest, hottest guy she's ever seen walk into the tour company's office. Before she knows what she's doing, she's giving into all those naughty, sweaty, can't-get-them-out-of-her-mind fantasies with him. When things go south with her mission, she's dragging him into her professional life and dealing with a fully capable Navy SEAL to boot. When all the dust settles, will this turn out to be just a fling....or something much more?