I glanced back, and mentally undressed Ashley. I had memorized every curve of that slamming body that she’d hidden under her demure business suit. Incredible breasts that I couldn’t wait to titty fuck and a plump ass I was dying to bend over when I took her from behind. And I knew that behind the good-girl business exterior, Ashley was a dirty girl.

And every dirty girl needed a bad boy. I was the man for the job.

But Ash was definitely a challenge, even though I could tell she wanted me. Every time she looked at me, her pupils dilated with desire, her cheeks flushed, and her body angled toward mine.

I had no idea that she’d gone to Harvard, though I knew she was smart. Some guys would be intimidated by her education, but not me. My ex, April, had no goals in life, except to make my life miserable. When I’d been deployed, she would cheat, excusing her actions by saying she’d been lonely. I’d get so mad and vengeful; I’d cheat to get back at her. I wasn’t proud of myself, but it had been what it was. I wasn’t perfect. I had major flaws. But I owned them.

But those other women had meant nothing to me. I had loved April more than the moon that guided my missions. It would be refreshing to date someone who had a career she could immerse herself in when I was fighting a war a world away.

My thoughts turned away from Ashley and back to Paul. He’d had it coming. It looked like his shady cover-up of the bad antics from the guys on the Team most definitely had come back to bite him on his ass. Even though he had saved my career a few times, I’d refuse to pound my trident into his coffin. He deserved no respect, even if he was a SEAL.

But honestly, I didn’t have a clue who had murdered him. Or why.

I climbed on my motorcycle and headed off base to my place in Imperial Beach. It was a dump, but at least it was close to the ocean and my work. After my divorce from April, I’d been wiped out financially and emotionally. Despite the prestige of being a SEAL, it didn’t pay worth shit. Thirty-two thousand dollars plus housing and benefits didn’t seem to be nearly enough compensation for a job that sent me to assassinate terrorists, kill pirates, and save hostages, especially since this career had been responsible for the demise of my marriage and the blackening of my soul. At least Ashley didn’t seem like a gold-digger.

I pulled into the parking lot, parked my bike, and took a moment to stare at the sunset. I was only in town for a few more months before I deployed. I’d love to spend the time I had stateside with someone special. Someone who would miss me when I was gone. Despite my deep protests, April had moved back home to Las Vegas after we’d split. I didn’t give a fuck where she went, but I wanted our kids nearby, so that I could see them. And, just like I’d feared, she rarely let the kids come visit me. But I was in town, for now, so maybe I could convince her to let me take the kids to Disneyland.

I opened my apartment and grabbed a cold beer from the fridge. I took a moment to let the liquid soothe my soul, forget my day, wash away the picture in my head of Paul’s brains splattered on the concrete floor of the grinder. It definitely wasn’t the first time I’d seen a dead man, and I could guarantee it wouldn’t be the last.

My phone beeped. April. Five missed calls. And a text. What the fuck? She never blew up my phone like this.

Fuck. I prayed my kids were okay and called her back.

“What’s up? Are the kids okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah. They are fine.”

I didn’t have time for her drama. Unless it was about our kids, I didn’t want to talk to her. She had told me once that she had wanted to be “friends” with me still. What kind of bullshit was that? I told her that if she wanted to be friends with me, if it didn’t kill her that I was with other women, then she’d never loved me like I’d loved her.

“What do you want?”

Her voice sounded breathless and emotional. Like she had been crying. “Paul. What happened to Paul? I talked to Dara, and she’s hysterical. Were you there? What happened?”

Unbelievable. “Yeah, I was fucking there. I work there, remember? I’m the one who found him. Suicide. Or maybe someone offed him. I don’t care. You can tell Dara her husband was a prick and she’s better off. Anything else, or can I go drink my beer?”

She exhaled. Why was she so upset? She hadn’t sounded this distraught when she had left me. “Just Paul. Who would kill him? He didn’t seem suicidal . . . I mean Dara said he was acting normal yesterday.”

“Yeah, well, now he’s dead. They didn’t have any kids. We do, so pull yourself together.” I exhaled. I wanted something from her, so I forced myself to play nice. “Hey, can you bring them out? I miss them.”

I waited for her answer. I’d fought so hard for joint custody, but because I was always deployed, I’d had no chance of getting it. I was regulated to holidays and a week during the summer. At least I could visit them on my frequent trips to Las Vegas. I was a regular at The Crazy Horse, numbing my mind with women and whiskey.

“Sure. Yes, actually. I was planning on driving out. In fact, I need a break. Can you take them for a bit? I can leave tomorrow. Make that tonight.”

What the fuck was wrong with her? She never offered me the kids without a fight. Never. But I didn’t want to question her and have her change her mind. “Yeah. I’d love that. I can work something out for daycare while I’m at work. Maybe Mia can watch them. Can I talk to them?” I’m not sure why I even asked, because I already knew the answer.

“No. They are playing upstairs, but I’m going to get them ready. Okay, Mitch. I’ll text you. And let me know if you think of anything about Paul. I just can’t believe he’s gone.”

“Whatever. Bye.”

I hung up the phone and pounded my beer. Why did she care so much about Paul? Was she fucking him? Her best friend’s husband? I definitely wouldn’t put it past her or Paul.

She wasn’t my problem. Neither was Paul. I just wanted to see my kids. My little man, Sam, was five, about to start kindergarten in the fall. That boy wasn’t like me at all. He was kind, sensitive, and cautious. Now my daughter, Sienna, on the other hand, was my clone. Sassy little daredevil. She was six and very protective of her baby brother. But it wasn’t her job to be protective of him. It was mine. And I had failed. Without them living in the same state as I did, the best I could do was send money and be available every time their mother would let me see or talk to them.

Well, maybe she would honor her word and bring them to me. For now, the only thing I could do was get ready for my date.

I hit the shower. The hot water massaged my aching muscles as I scrubbed the day off my chest. This day, this job, this life was so intense. I never had downtime. I was either at war abroad or at war at home. I couldn’t even relate to women anymore—well, outside of the bedroom, anyway. How could I pretend to care about the newest movie or the latest reality star gossip when my buddies were getting offed overseas? And even being killed here.

But with Ash, it was different. She knew the drill. She was NCIS, for fuck sake. She had investigated Joaquín’s case. I’m sure she had already had read my entire personnel file. I had nothing to hide from her. I refused to keep secrets from Ashley.

I had one chance to get it right with this woman. No more of my usual bullshit games. I fucking wanted her. She had vanished after the last time I’d seen her—changed her cell number, hadn’t replied to my messages on her office phone. Seeing her today at the compound had brought all the lust I’d harbored for her back. I wasn’t going to squander my second chance with this woman.

So, I was pulling out all the stops. I dressed in my nicest suit and made reservations at the best restaurant in La Jolla, with views of the ocean. Excitement built inside me. Planning a date was like preparing for a mission. But instead of my goal being taking out a terrorist, my goal was to seduce Ashley. And I planned on eating her for dessert.

I took my truck, even though I’d briefly considered taking my bike. She already knew the bad boy. I wanted to get her to know the gentleman, even if I was barely acquainted with him myself.

I cruised up north on the freeway and exited toward the beach. She lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, a cool, laid-back hippie surf town. Man, I’d love to live here, but it was too far from base.

I stopped at the grocery store to buy her flowers and then walked up the street to her place. It was a small apartment. A few bros drank on a patio, and some bum eyed me as I approached her door. Protectiveness coiled through my body. I knew Ash packed heat, but even so, I hated the thought of all these men living around her, no doubt lusting after her like I did.

I rang the doorbell and Ash opened the door. One look at her slamming body, her luscious lips, and her bright blue eyes, and I was rendered speechless.

“Well, well, Petty Officer Martinez. Don’t you clean up nice?”

I handed her the flowers. As much as I wanted her, I had to stay cool.

“It’s just a suit, Autumn. Underneath it, I’m still your bad boy.”