Chapter Nine
A firm knock on the door in the outer room of the suite broke through the dead of sleep Reese had fallen into. For a moment, she lay comfortable, surrounded by the luxury of clean sheets and an incredibly soft mattress. She didn’t want to wake up, but the incessant knocking forced her to open her eyes.
Diesel was already out of the bed, running for the other room, stark naked. Through the open bedroom door, Reese could see him snatch up his suit trousers from the floor where he’d left them and jam his legs into them. Half running, half hopping, he made it to the door on the third round of knocking. A quick peek through the peephole, and he flung the door wide.
“Damn, you guys got here fast,” he said quietly and opened the door wide, grinning.
Five hulking men, dressed in dark pants and T-shirts stretched tightly over broad chests and massive biceps, tumbled into the room.
Reese yelped, rolled out of the bed and dropped to floor on the other side, where she’d laid her suitcase. She dug through, searching for her workout clothes and sports bra. While lying on the floor, she dressed quickly, her heart pounding, and her cheeks on fire.
When she was convinced all pertinent parts were covered, she straightened, pretending that getting up off the floor of a hotel room was a natural occurrence. She could have been exercising for all they knew.
And pigs might learn to fly.
Diesel’s men would all know she’d been in bed with their teammate as soon as they caught sight of the discarded clothing on the sitting-room floor.
The man she’d made love with stood in the middle of the group of men, each back-slapping and filling each other in on the other’s stories.
Reese stepped into the room and cleared her throat.
Diesel turned, grinned and held out his hand for her.
She took his and allowed him to draw her into the circle of his friends.
“Guys, you remember Reese Brantley. Reese, this is just part of my team. Apparently, they only got clearance to send them, no more. Which is probably for the better. Too many SEALs in a public place would raise red flags all over the world.”
Reese remembered most of their faces from the boat ride the day before. “Hi. I’m sorry, I don’t remember your names.”
Diesel pointed to a man about the same height as him with black hair and brown eyes. “This is Harmone Payne.”
He held out his hand. “Harm.”
“I don’t understand.” Reese took his hand, a frown drawing her brows together. “I have no intention of harming you.”
Harm laughed. “The team calls me Harm.”
Heat climbed into her cheeks. “Oh. Sorry. Harm, it is.”
“You remember me, Graham Buckner.” A brown-haired man with bright blue eyes held out his hand. “You can call me Buck.”
“Percy Taylor.” Another hand was shoved toward her by a man with short dark hair and hazel eyes. He was stockier than the others and built like a freight train. “But you might remember me as Pitbull.”
“On account he looks like one,” Diesel said.
“And smells like one,” Buck added.
Pitbull swung a fist at Buck, hitting him hard in the shoulder.
Reese flinched, imagining the pain of that meaty fist on her own shoulder. But Buck didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m Trace McGuire.” A man with dark auburn hair and blue eyes held out his hand.
Buck leaned close. “That’s T-Mac to most.”
The biggest man in the room stepped forward. Reese remembered him. “Jake Schuler.” He had dark blond hair and gray eyes. He tipped his head toward his buddies. “You’ll remember me as the one called Big Jake.”
Reese smiled at the men. Even at five-foot-eight, she felt dwarfed by their size and extra-large, alpha-male personalities. “Have you been up all night?” she asked.
“We have,” Big Jake said. “We could use some shut-eye, but the front desk said the hotel was full. We thought we’d let you know we were here before we looked for other accommodations.”
Diesel shook his head. “You aren’t likely to find anything nearby. Not with the convention in town.”
Buck glanced around the suite. “There’s enough room here. We could catch a few Z’s.”
The corners of Reese’s mouth quirked upward. “On the floor?”
“Lady, we’ve slept on worse,” Buck admitted. “The floor would be heaven.”
Harm nodded. “We only need a couple hours to recharge our batteries.”
“Do you mind?” T-Mac asked.
Reese laughed and frowned. “Not at all. Are you sure you’ll be all right on the floor?”
“Perfectly,” Big Jake yawned. “I could sleep on a bag of rocks about now.”
“Hopefully it won’t be that bad.” Reese hurried for the bedroom. “I’ll get some pillows and whatever blankets I can find. But you might want to keep it down. The hotel staff will kick us all out if they find out I’ve got six men in my room.”
Diesel grabbed their clothes from where they’d landed on the floor and tossed them on the bed. Then he helped her gather the spare blankets and pillows from the closet, and a couple from the bed, and carried them out to the five men stripping out of their shirts and boots.
Reese’s eyes widened at all of the muscles on display. She was in every woman’s paradise.
Diesel nudged her with his elbow. “Hey, don’t get any ideas. I’d like to think you’re all mine.”
She smothered a giggle. “You can’t blame me. It’s like looking at works of art.” Reese dropped the pillows and blankets on the sofa. “I believe that sofa folds out into a bed.”
“I call it,” T-Mac said.
“Sorry, dude. I’m pulling rank on this one.” Big Jake nudged the auburn-haired SEAL out of the way. “You can have the cushions.”
“Deal. Actually, that sounds better anyway.” T-Mac gathered the cushions from the sofa and carried them to a corner of the sitting room.
Pitbull snagged a pillow and stretched out in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. He didn’t ask for a blanket or a spare sheet. He lay down and closed his eyes. Within seconds, his chest began to rise and fall in deep, restful breaths.
Harm draped his body over a large chair and was snoring within seconds.
Buck grabbed a pillow. “Do we need someone to stand watch?”
“Not tonight,” Diesel said. “We’ll come up with a plan in the morning. I’m not sure I can get all of you into the convention center. But having you close by will be a relief.”
Buck nodded to Diesel and Reese. “Okay, then. I’m catching a few Z’s. See you two when the sun comes up.” The big man found an empty space near the door.
Big Jake unfolded the bed from inside the sleeper sofa and dropped onto the thin mattress. He gave Diesel a salute, crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.
Diesel clasped Reese’s hand in his and led her back to the bedroom and closed the door.
“How do they do that?” Reese asked, amazed at how quickly they settled in for sleep.
“Do what?”
She shook her head. “Go to sleep so fast?”
“Part of it is that they’re tired. That, and they’re used to grabbing a nap whenever and wherever they can. You never know when you’ll get to sleep again.”
Reese nodded. “Like when we were in the jungle.”
“Exactly.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “As much as I’d like to make love to you again, we should get some sleep, as well.”
“Yeah, you two need to sleep,” Buck called out from the other side of the door. “We don’t need reminders of how lonely we are out here.”
“Speak for yourself, dirtbag. You can always snuggle up to me,” T-Mac said.
“In your dreams,” Buck shot back.
Reese’s face heated, but she chuckled. “Sleep it is.” She could have gone for another round of lovemaking with her handsome SEAL but not with an audience of five of his buddies on the other side of what appeared to be a paper-thin bedroom door.
Diesel stroked his thumb along the side of her cheek. “Do you want me to sleep out there with the guys?”
She frowned. “Hell, no.”
“Does it bother you that they know we’re sleeping together?”
Reese stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m a grown woman. What I do and who I sleep with is my business, and I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks.”
“You tell him, Reese,” Buck said.
Diesel growled. “Go to sleep, Buck.”
“I would, if you two would stop yammering,” Buck grumbled.
Reese took Diesel’s hand and led him to the bed. She lay down, fully dressed in her workout clothes.
Diesel stripped out of his trousers and slipped beneath the sheets, pulling her body against his.
She touched a finger to his chest. “I want to get closer, but—”
“Shh. There are far too many men in this suite. Go to sleep knowing that at least you’re safe.”
She pressed her ear to his skin, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart, her own swelling inside. This was a man worth keeping. Someone she could easily fall for. Too bad they were in such difficult jobs. They’d never find time to be together. She’d have to settle for what little time they had together for the next couple days. Her memories would have to carry her for a long time. Finding someone like Diesel would be impossible. He’d set the bar for her. No one else would ever do. Eventually, exhaustion claimed her, and Reese slipped into a troubled sleep.
* * *
DIESEL LAY FOR a long time, wishing the guys hadn’t come as soon as they had, but glad they were there.
He wanted to make love to Reese again, but the others would hear and give him and her hell. Until they made it through the conference and got Reese and Klein on their way back to the States, he would just have to abstain. But it was hard. Really hard.
When he finally went to sleep, it felt like only moments before an alarm blared on the nightstand nearby.
Reese reached out and turned it off, and then rolled over into his arms and kissed him. “They can’t hear if I kiss you,” she whispered, and did it again.
Diesel gathered her close and took her mouth, thrusting his tongue past her teeth to spar with hers. He could get used to waking up every day to this strong, beautiful woman.
But he was a SEAL. He would always be on call and deploy at the drop of a hat. He’d seen too many SEALs divorce within the first few years of marriage. Their wives couldn’t stand the uncertainty, never knowing when they would be home, or if they would arrive in a body bag.
Reese deserved better. After what she’d been through at the hands of the Taliban terrorists, she deserved someone who could be there to protect her every day, not just a part-time lover who would enter and leave her life at the whim of the navy.
He kissed her hard, wishing they could stay in bed for the entire day, but knowing they had a job to do. He smacked her bottom. “You can have the bathroom first. I want to work with the guys to come up with a plan.”
“I want to be in on the planning, too,” she insisted.
“Then you better hurry. Your boss’s meetings begin in less than an hour, and my guys will want to grab something to eat before the fun begins.”
“Going,” she said, grabbed his ears and pulled him to her again for another kiss. Then she scrambled from the bed and raced to the bathroom.
Diesel pulled on his suit trousers and walked out of the bedroom.
T-Mac crouched by the window, unpacking items from a duffel bag, laying them out on the floor.
Harm was checking out the coffee maker. “One lousy cup. Why bother?” He glanced up as Diesel entered the room. “We have to make a run for coffee.”
“We will, after we discuss the mission.” Big Jake pulled a polo shirt over his head and tucked it into his khaki pants. “What are the chances of us getting into the conference?”
“I’d say slim to none,” Diesel replied. “From what I’ve seen so far, only the attendees will be allowed into the auditorium. I assume they’ll have tight security around the conference center.”
“We had orders to come provide any help we can,” Big Jake said.
“But we aren’t supposed to be here, so we weren’t allowed to carry weapons,” Harm added.
“What good can we be without firepower?” Pitbull asked.
“You can let us know if you see, hear or smell trouble,” Diesel said.
“That means we’ll be the eyes, ears and noses.” Buck lightly backhanded Diesel in the belly as he passed him and bent to the equipment T-Mac was laying out on the floor. “I’ll take one of those.”
“I figured you might have lost yours in your run through the jungle.” T-Mac handed Diesel one of the tiny radio headsets that fit in the ear and that would pick up the sound of his voice, providing two-way communication.
“Great. Did you bring an extra for Reese?” Diesel asked. “I probably won’t be allowed into the conference center with her and Klein, but I’d like to keep in contact.”
“I’m a step ahead of you.” T-Mac held up a small earbud that would fit easily into her ear. “She could cover it with her hair.”
Diesel took the earbud. “I believe we have a couple hours before the actual conference begins. I’d like to recon the area around the convention hall, find all the entrances and where they lead. If something goes down, we need to get Reese, Klein and as many of the attendees out of harm’s way as quickly as possible.”
“We can do that first and then find coffee,” Big Jake said.
“You’re hurting me, B.J.,” Harm said.
T-Mac handed him a headset. “You’ll live.”
“Not unless I get a cup of coffee soon.” Harm pressed the earpiece into his ear and slipped his arms into a button-down, short-sleeved cotton shirt. “Let’s get this recon done soon. I have a date with a cuppa jo.”
“I could do with a cup of coffee, too.” Reese stepped out of the bedroom, wearing a sleek, gray jacket and slim-fitting, stretchy skirt that wouldn’t hamper her movements.
All six men turned in her direction.
Diesel frowned at the hungry looks in their eyes. Hell, he couldn’t blame them. She was beautiful.
She left her hair hanging down around her ears and shoulders, and she wore matching gray high-heeled shoes.
“Wow, you look like you could take on the United Nations in that getup,” Buck said.
T-Mac whistled. “Dang, Diesel, I’d have gone for a run in the jungle if I’d known Reese was going with me, too.”
Diesel’s fists clenched. “Knock it off. She’s here to do a job.” He smiled. “Though, you do look like you could take on the entire conference and kick ass.”
Reese blushed and smiled. “Thanks. All of you.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to touch base with Ferrence. We’ll probably go to breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I’d invite all of you to join us, but then everyone would know you’re with us.”
Buck sighed. “Have a couple of eggs over easy for me, will ya?”
“And a cup of black coffee for me,” Harm said, giving up on the coffee maker the hotel provided each room.
Diesel handed Reese the earbud headset. “Try this on.”
“What is it?”
“A two-way radio. You’ll be able to contact us, and we can contact you.”
She nodded and settled the communication device in her ear.
“Go ahead and try it,” T-Mac said, pressing a similar earbud into his ear.
“Testing,” Reese said. “Testing.”
“I can hear you. Let’s see if you can hear me.” T-Mac stepped outside the hotel room and walked down the hallway.
Diesel closed the door.
Reese stared at Diesel, tipping her head to the side. “I can hear you,” she said, smiling.
T-Mac opened the door. “You’re good to go.”
Reese tapped her ear. “Thanks.” She glanced at Diesel’s bare chest. “Are you coming with us?”
He nodded. “As far as I can.”
“I doubt I can get you into the conference, but you can join us for breakfast, since we’ve already established you as my fiancé.”
“Fiancé?” Pitbull grinned. “Something you aren’t telling us, dude?”
“Would you care to explain, while I finish dressing?” Diesel passed by Reese on his way to the bedroom.
Behind him, he heard Reese clear her throat. “Staying here was all part of his cover. Otherwise, he would have had to get a room somewhere farther away.”
“Uh-huh,” Buck said, a knowing grin spreading across his face. “Perfectly reasonable.”
Diesel jammed his arms into the shirt, pulled on his socks and shoes and tucked in his shirt, in a hurry to get back to the sitting room before his teammates could further embarrass Reese. He buttoned his shirt and returned to the other room, handing his tie to Reese. “Could you?”
She wrapped the tie around his neck and made quick work of the knot at his throat. When she was done, she stood back. “Ready?”
He nodded and held out his arm. “I’ll contact you guys later. Let me know what you find.”
“Will do.” Big Jake gave him a mock salute.
On his way out of the room, Diesel hung the Do Not Disturb sign on the outer doorknob.
Reese stepped across the hall and rapped on Klein’s door.
Her client opened it, carrying a plain black briefcase and wearing a tailored charcoal-gray suit. “I was just about to come get you. I scored a breakfast with President Sabando’s chief of staff. I hope to come out of breakfast having scheduled a meeting with the president himself.” He handed the briefcase to Reese. “I’ll need you to take notes.”
“Do we need a translator?” she asked.
“No, he speaks English, having been educated at Harvard.”
Diesel followed Reese and Klein to the hotel restaurant, where they met with Sabando’s chief of staff, a tall, thin, dark man. He spoke English with an American accent.
A waiter led them to a table in the corner.
Diesel gave half of his attention to the conversation, while scanning the occupants of the restaurant.
So far, no one stood out as a threat. But then he didn’t expect to find one yet. If anyone wanted to make the news, they’d wait until all the foreign dignitaries had arrived for the conference. Based on the number of Congolese soldiers at the social the night before, the conference center would be well guarded.
Still, Diesel felt better knowing part of his team would be there should anyone make a move on the delegates, Reese or Klein. He only wished they could have come armed. But then, how would they explain navy SEALs at a conference to which they weren’t invited? The African Union might consider it a sign of aggression if they came in with their guns a-blazing. No, it was better they were unarmed and supposedly there on vacation. They didn’t need to cause an international incident. And he knew his brothers—they’d have knives strapped to their ankles. They wouldn’t be completely unarmed.
By the end of breakfast, Klein had his meeting scheduled for the day after the conference. He rose from the table, appearing quite pleased.
Sabando’s chief of staff excused himself, claiming he needed to be available for the president when he arrived at the conference center.
Klein paid the bill. The three of them left and walked down the long hallway to the huge conference center attached to the hotel. Every twenty feet, they passed armed soldiers.
Other dignitaries and their entourages walked the long hall, as well. The conference would begin in less than thirty minutes. Dignitaries and their assistants hurried into the auditorium to take their assigned seats.
Reese and Klein checked in with the registration desk and were given badges to clip to their collars.
Diesel bent to kiss her and whispered. “I’ll be waiting out here. But I’ll be with you all the time.”
She nodded and stood on her toes to kiss him again. Then she entered the auditorium behind Klein.
Diesel stood back far enough not to attract attention from the guards standing on either side of the entrance, weapons held at the ready.
Other members of dignitaries’ entourages remained outside the auditorium, claiming seats on benches against the walls or pacing the corridors, talking quietly into their cell phones.
“Comm check,” T-Mac said through Diesel’s radio.
“Diesel here,” he responded.
“Reese here,” a whispered feminine voice said.
Diesel’s heart swelled at the sound. “Damn, you sound sexy,” he answered.
“Thank you. My momma always said I had a lady-killer voice,” T-Mac responded.
“Jerk,” Diesel said, a smile tugging at his lips.
He heard a feminine chuckle in his headset, warming him all over. Knowing they were in communication made him feel better about being separated from her, but he’d rather be seated next to her, in case someone got trigger-happy.
Other members of the team checked in, one by one.
“Pitbull here, sweetlips.”
“Big Jake here,” Big Jake reported. “Our check of the exterior of the conference center yielded three entrances—all heavily guarded by Congolese soldiers.”
“Buck, here. Harm and I walked the connecting hallway earlier and counted three more entrances from inside. One of the doors leading off the far end of the hallway leads to a staircase down into the parking garage. As does an elevator. Parking garage has four levels below the convention center.”
“They have guards at each of the levels checking people getting on and off the elevators or staircases.”
The team had done well on their recon mission. Now all they could do was stand around and wait for something to happen that raised concern. They were men of action. Waiting would be a challenge. But, if Diesel had his way, they’d wait all day for nothing.
He’d rather have the day pass uneventfully than see problems arise with the conference attendees. Especially one named Reese Brantley.
Diesel paced the hallway, passing each of the three interior entrances. All three were guarded by two soldiers each. Minutes passed into one hour, and then two. Diesel didn’t like being on the outside, away from Reese. What if someone had gotten past the guards? What if the fight started from within? None of the delegates were armed. They’d be cut down like fish in a bowl.
The longer he waited, the more worried he became, until he found himself standing in front of the door in which Reese and Klein had entered. The guards narrowed their eyes and tightened their grips on their weapons.