Tumult (TSS Series Book 1) by Lea Hart (8)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Friday, October 13^th

Carrick stood with his hand out as he waited for Audrey to get out of the cab. When she brushed past him and pushed his hand away, he knew she wasn’t happy with the smooch he’d given her.

Which made sense, considering their relationship had been purely professional until he decided to kiss her.

Was it unprofessional and slightly crazy?

Absolutely.

Was he going to do it again?

As soon as he could.

All he had to do was convince Audrey that it was a good idea, and by the look of her stomping feet, it wasn’t going to be easy. Taking long strides, he was at the front door of her building before she was and managed to open the door and hold it for her. When she ignored him and blew past, he girded himself for the blast she was going to give him the moment they were inside the apartment.

And he deserved it, no doubt about it. What he did was unacceptable and why he decided to end her diatribe about finding someone else to protect her with a kiss wasn’t something he fully understood, and might never.

He’d never been anything less than one hundred percent appropriate with the people he encountered in both his careers in the Navy and at Titan, and why being around Audrey was making him act like a nut, he didn’t know.

Watching her hair swing across her back as she strode toward the elevator and her beautiful ass sway made him realize he was full of shit. Because he did know, and it wasn’t complicated. He was attracted to her in a way that had never happened with any other woman.

Not only was she fucking beautiful, she was smart, brave, and compassionate. Anyone who got off the fast-track to go volunteer with refugees was a person who believed there were more important things in the world than prestige and money.

And in his experience, that was a rare quality.

When they arrived at the elevator, she hit the button with more force than was necessary and he figured she was seeing his face when she did it repeatedly. “Are you mad about the kiss or the fact that I did it in the middle of a busy restaurant?”

Turning slowly, she said, “Oh, I don’t know, Carrick…maybe both.”

The doors slid open and they walked on, and as they closed he took her hand. “I’m sorry I did it at the restaurant, but I’m not sorry I kissed you. I know it was really unprofessional but I lost my mind when you kept saying that you’d go with someone else.”

“That was a feeble attempt at an apology and I hope you think about what you’ve said and try again.”

They arrived on her floor and walked toward her door and once they were inside, Carrick expected her to blast him the moment the door closed. When she dropped her bag and went to her room, shutting the door soundly, he knew she was gearing up for a good one.

“You deserve it,” he mumbled to himself as he shrugged off his jacket. Draping it over a chair, he took a seat on the couch and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Might as well make use of the time and see what kind of flights they could get on. If they flew out Tuesday, that would give him time to get supplies shipped in and have Titan send him his passport and appropriate paperwork.

He started to put a list together of things he needed when he heard the bedroom door open and watched Audrey walk out. Feeling his heart speed up, he wondered what he was in for. “You look comfortable.” Giving her a smile, he enjoyed the view of her long legs encased in black leggings.

“I decided to get out of my business dress, so when I start yelling at you, I’ll be comfortable.”

“Always a good idea when you’re about to go into battle. I have a lucky pair of boots that are ten years old that I swear have made the difference between coming away victorious and not.”

“Too bad you’re not wearing them now because I think you could use them.”

“Yeah, I can’t disagree.” He watched her sit next to him on the couch and fold her legs. “I’m putting a supply list together, so if we can get a flight on Tuesday for Ankara, we’ll be ready.”

“Not sure if I want to go with you anymore.”

“I know you liked the kiss, so tell me what I can do to fix the fact I took it in the middle of a restaurant.”

“It’s not the damn restaurant,” she replied loudly.

He dropped his phone on the couch and turned. “Then what is it?”

“You kissed me so you could shut me up because you didn’t like what I was saying. That’s so rude and dismissive. I know you’re a big bad SEAL and used to getting your way and people following your commands, but that doesn’t work in real life, and if you and I are going to spend time together, then you have to listen to me.”

“Okay, Audrey. You’re right.” He lifted her hand and scooted a little closer. “I hate the idea of not being the one to protect you and you kept saying you’d go with someone else. It made me so angry that all I could do was kiss you.”

Leaning back, she gave him an incredulous stare. “I don’t even want to know what that means.” Shaking her head, she moved her hands away. “Are you into some weird angry sex thing and when you like a woman you have to dominate?”

“No, Audrey!” Taking her hand back, he frowned. “I’m not some damn deviant.”

“Are you into S&M? Because if you are, it’s nothing to be ashamed about. It’s a well-accepted practice now and there’s no need to hide who you are.”

“I kissed you because I wanted to and didn’t feel like fighting the desire anymore.”

“And you were mad.”

“And I was frustrated that the idea of having anyone other than me protect you was acceptable.”

“Use your words, Carrick, and the next time you want to kiss me, don’t do it out of anger.”

“Absolutely.” Moving a little closer, he grinned. “Maybe we should try it again and see if the first one was as good as I remember.”

“Isn’t that a bad idea if we’re going to be working together?”

“Yes, it is, and for the first time in my life, I don’t give a good goddamn.”

“Up until the kiss, I wasn’t sure if you liked me…what changed?”

“I like you, Audrey. Hell, maybe that’s why I was being so uptight and crabby.” He ran his fingers over her hand and hitched his shoulders. “I’m not real comfortable with the way you make me feel.”

“And how’s that?”

Lifting her hand to his mouth, he pressed a kiss to her skin. “Crazy and out of control. The idea of not being around you is painful, like a damn Humvee is sitting on my chest.”

“That sounds…”

“Like I don’t have a choice.”

“Well, I guess we’re going to have a chance to get to know one another over the next week and see what we can do about the Humvee and my curiosity.”

Dipping his head lower, he ran his mouth along her jaw and inhaled her scent. Warm cinnamon. “What are you curious about?”

“If all the coiled power you’ve got going on is going to make you a greedy lover or a generous one.”

Bombs exploded in his head when he heard her words, and all the desire he’d banked for the last week set itself free. Framing her face with his hands, he brought their mouths together and spoke against her mouth, “I’m both, and when we’re done with one another, I don’t expect anything to be left except our ashes.”

Capturing her mouth with his, he felt her immediately relax into him. Heart pounding, he took in every nuance, from her soft warm lips to her sweet scent. Everything about her was unique and it electrified his body.

Not wanting to overwhelm her, he tried to be gentle. He licked her lower lip and she leaned in closer, causing sparks to fly as he slid his tongue over hers. He tasted her, devoured her, and tugged on her hair, tilting her head, giving him the access he craved.

Kissing Audrey was like coming home, as though everything that had ever happened in his life had led him to this woman.

Feeling her pull away, he released her mouth and tipped his head against hers. “We should do that as often as we can.” When she didn’t reply, he ran his finger over her pulse and felt it jump against her skin.

“But first, we need to figure out flights for the trip,” she finally replied breathlessly.

Pulling away, he sat up straight and let out a sigh. “Roger that.”

Smoothing out her sweatshirt, she nodded firmly. “That’s the first order I’ve given that you obeyed.” Slipping her hair over her shoulder, she beamed.

“I imagine it’s not going to be your last, either.”

“That would be correct.” Standing, she went over to the table and picked up her bag. “Let’s start making lists.”

“Babe, you say that like some people say Christmas.”

“It’s the only way I can function and not let my brain explode.”

Looking up, he saw something vulnerable pass across her face and knew some asshole had made fun of her for it. Feeling a bolt of anger slice through his chest, he immediately quelled it because she would think it was directed at her. Forcing his mouth into a smile, he patted the couch. “Come and sit close to me, so we can get started on those lists.”

“As long as you promise to behave.”

He lifted his finger and motioned for her to come closer. “The only way you’ll find out if I can control myself is to put that very fine ass of yours next to mine.”

“Right now, nothing about your expression or demeanor suggests that you can, so I’ll just take the chair over here.”

Standing instantly, he took one giant step, scooped her up in his arms, and held her tightly as she squirmed. Hearing her laugh loosened something in his chest and he joined her as he collapsed back onto the couch. Laying his arms across her legs, he grinned. “Nice and comfortable.” He kissed her head and pointed to the tablet she was clutching. “Item number one on the list should be…”

“Carrick behaving like a gentleman and not a Neanderthal.”

“You can write it, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.” She started to wiggle around on his lap and he felt an instant response. The light wool of his suit pants wasn’t going to help him hide his feelings, so he simply smiled and waited for her reaction. He wasn’t ashamed of what she did to him; hell, if he was being honest, he thought it was fucking fantastic. “Stop moving around unless you want to make me real uncomfortable.”

She raised her gaze and lifted an eyebrow. “Did I do that to you?”

“I know you already have the answer to that question, so I’m wondering why you’re acting coy.”

“It’s not coy; it’s just amazement because it seemed to happen almost instantly.”

“That’s what you do to me, babe. Best we accept it and take it for what it’s worth.” He watched her face flush. “Care to share your thoughts?”

“Not be to be crude, but…you seem to be a big man all over.” Dropping her tablet, she covered her face and started laughing.

He took her hand away from her face, saw tears leaking out of her eyes, and shook his head. “For a sophisticated woman, you sure get embarrassed easily.”

Sniffing, she managed to control her outburst and lifted her sweatshirt to wipe her eyes. “I shouldn’t have said that. I guess I’m just overwhelmed. This morning, I had a book deal and a bodyguard who didn’t like me and now I don’t know what the hell is happening.”

“That’s life, Audrey, and all we can do is adapt and move on. Savor the sweet and ignore the sour.”

Crawling off his lap, she picked up her pad and sat next to him. “All right, Carrick, let’s figure out what we need to do so we can go to beautiful Syria.”

“Sounds good.” He checked his watch and then grabbed his phone. “Let me text the office, so they can Fed-Ex my passport and paperwork we’re going to need for the trip before it gets too late.”

“I’ll leave you to it then and start searching for flights.”

Before she stood up, he caught her hand. “We’re going to be a great team and I want you to know that I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Squeezing his hand, she gave him a smile. “I know.”

Pulling her down so their faces were close, he gave her a quick kiss. “Thanks for your faith, babe. It means everything.”

She gave him a nod in response and turned toward the kitchen. Rolling his shoulders, he breathed deeply and then started typing on his phone. Feeling lighter than he had in a long time, he found himself smiling at the thought of spending uninterrupted time with Audrey.

The fact that they were going to do it in one of the most dangerous countries in the world didn’t bother him like it should’ve and he realized it was because they were going to have a chance to get to know one another.

Even if they had to do it in the middle of a civil war.