CHAPTER THREE
Wednesday, September 6th
Frisco walked into the Hilton Hotel with his men after spending the day at the base, and silently sent up a prayer of gratitude for the cold blast of air that had just hit his face. It was a rare luxury while being deployed, and he was damn grateful he and his team got to spend the night in a hotel and not the barracks.
Wiping his hand down his face, he felt the grit of the desert sand and decided a long shower was the first thing that needed to happen, and after that…
“Jones,” a loud voice barked.
Turning, Frisco looked across the marble lobby and saw Carrick and Brendan standing with two women under a chandelier that reminded him of broken glass, and he felt his heart stutter.
Once.
And then again.
Holy shit balls.
The picture of Brooke Foster on Carrick’s tablet did not do justice to the living, breathing version that was before him. From the top of her silky brown hair to the bottom of her ratty running shoes, she was breathtaking. Anticipation buzzed inside his gut, and his senses heightened like he was about to go out on a midnight raid. “God damn,” he muttered quietly.
Jax stood beside him and mumbled, “I’ll second that. That blonde woman is a stunner, and I’m calling dibs.”
“Pretty sure you can’t call dibs on a woman,” Bryce commented.
“That’s where you’re absolutely wrong,” Jax replied. “Because I just did.”
Frisco didn’t respond, because his ability to speak had disappeared along with any hope of reasonable thought. His brain felt like a pinball machine as his thoughts bounced around like a metal ball.
Add to that the jacked-up feeling that had never happened outside of combat, and he was lucky to be standing upright. Mentally, he measured the space separating them and calculated how quickly he could be at her side.
Seconds…that was all it would take.
But…once he got there, what could he do?
It wasn’t like he could sweep her into his arms and carry her upstairs like his instincts were telling him to. Not only was his man brain sending devour messages, it was also sending don’t-let-go and hold-on messages.
Something it had never done.
A hundred questions slid through his brain, and he decided that asking her to dinner was going to be the first one. After that, he’d find out what she liked to eat, where she liked to go, and whether she would be willing to only do them with him.
Stalking in her direction, he moved toward her like she was his homing device, and saw her smile in Carrick’s direction.
A goddamn, heart-stopping, perfect smile.
Fuck.
What should he look at first? The glossy hair tumbling over her shoulders or the dangerous sparkling eyes? Maybe the radiant smile? Impressions hit him one after another as he moved closer. Her waist was narrow, her hips round, and his dick and brain were in total agreement that he was a dead man.
As he reached her side, he ignored everyone and took her hand. “You must be Brooke.” When she looked up at him with a confused expression and then a frown, he knew he’d skipped a step.
Or ten.
Carrick let out a snort. “Brooke, this is a buddy from the Teams, Frisco Jones.”
“Nice to meet you, Frisco.” Slipping her hand away, she let out a laugh. “It’s a relief to know you’re just a SEAL and not a…”
Not wanting to let her finish, he jumped in. “The pleasure is all mine.” When he took her hand again, their eyes locked, and every noise in the place disappeared. He wished for a second the whole planet would too, so he could have her all to himself.
Hearing his name barked loudly startled him out of his dream world, so he lifted his head and frowned. “What?”
Smirking, Brendan tilted his head toward the blonde woman and grinned. “Thought you should be introduced to Piper, too.”
Realizing the woman was Brooke’s best friend, he gave her a warm smile. If he needed anyone’s approval, it was hers, because a guy didn’t stand a chance if the best friend wasn’t on board. “It’s nice to meet you, Piper.”
“You too.” Lifting her finger, she pointed to her friend’s hand. “Brooke may need that back at some point.”
The group erupted in laughter, and he turned to see Brooke giving him a small, confused smile. Releasing her hand slowly, he gave her a shrug. “Sorry, I kinda liked having it.” Clearing his throat, he wondered when his brain was going to begin functioning again.
The woman of his dreams must’ve sensed his discomfort, because she did the unimaginable and rested her hand on his arm. Looking into her heart-shaped face, he saw her smile, and the relief that washed over him made his heart swell to double its size. Not only was she drop-dead gorgeous, she was kind. “I apologize for making you uncomfortable.”
“It’s not discomfort but surprise.” She squeezed his arm and winked. “I may let you have it back at some point, but first I need a long shower and a nap.”
“Of course.” Stepping out of her personal space, he held his hands behind his back and gave her a smile. When she returned it, he prayed she’d felt a little of the magic as well. And that was what was happening between them: a supernatural force pulling them together. At least it was for him; she might just be humoring him.
Either way, she was smiling, and that had to be a good sign…right? “Can I take you to dinner tonight?”
“Piper and I already have plans with Carrick and Brendan, but you and your friends can join us if you’d like.”
“Of course, we’d like that.” Tilting his head toward his teammates, he nodded. “It would be our pleasure. Does 1800 work?”
Brooke turned toward Carrick and Brendan. “How does that sound to you two?”
“I’d like to say no, just to give Frisco a hard time, but I won’t because I hate seeing a grown man cry,” Carrick replied with an even tone.
Frisco flipped him off as Brooke’s back was turned and mean mugged him. So much for friends having one another’s backs. “Great.” Taking another step back so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her again, he nodded. “We’ll see you all in the dining room later.”
“Can’t wait,” Brendan called out in a high-pitched voice.
Frisco ignored him, gave Brooke one last look, and then turned and stalked in the direction of his bag. He knew Bryce was on his heels and hoped Jax wasn’t far behind. They had to put their notes together so he could file a report with HQ on the day’s events, and he didn’t want it to take any longer than necessary.
When the men scooped up their bags, Frisco nodded to them and headed toward the elevators. As they stood in front of the doors, he heard Bryce clear his throat. “Do you have something to share?”
“No, sir, absolutely not. Except…”
“Spit it out.” The elevator doors slid open, and all three men stepped in.
When the box started to ascend, Bryce shrugged. “Flowers, sir. Might be a good idea to get some. Especially if she’s been deployed up in Baga Sola for six months.”
Frisco studied the young lieutenant and gave him a nod of approval. “Not a bad idea.”
Jax bumped his shoulder and grinned. “I might get some for Piper because I wouldn’t want her to feel left out.”
Turning, he studied his buddy and realized he had a stupid loopy smile. Was it possible that he was wearing the same one? “Where the hell do we get flowers in N’Djamena?”
“Give me ten minutes on my computer, and I’ll find a place,” Bryce responded.
“I knew bringing you along was a good idea,” Frisco replied as the doors opened on their floor. “Let’s meet in my room in thirty minutes, bring your reports, and then we can figure out where we need to go for flowers.”
“Have you ever gotten a girl flowers?” Jax asked as he stopped in front of his room.
“I think the last time was when I took Glinda Howard to junior prom, and that was just a corsage. He ran his hand over his rough jaw and shrugged. “Even having a close friend with a flower shop hasn’t ever inspired me to bother getting them for anyone.”
Jax slid the key card into his door. “Birdie is going to enjoy the hell out of this story, and I can’t wait to tell her.”
Frisco thumped his buddy on the shoulder and then started walking down the hall. “If Brooke is half as amazing as I think she is, then the whole world can have an ‘I told you so moment.’ Doesn’t make a bit of difference to me.”
Bryce stopped in front of his room and saluted Frisco. “I’ll get working on the flowers, sir.”
“You’re not only a hell of an operator, but about the best damn wingman a man could ask for.”
“Thank you.”
Frisco walked down the long hall toward his room and realized he was operating in a whole new environment and had very little idea how to navigate the terrain. Which meant the best thing he could do was follow his instincts and pray they didn’t lead him astray.
For the first time in forever, he wanted more than naked fun with a woman, and if he was very lucky, he would soon figure out how to achieve it. Flowers certainly seemed like a great first step, so God willing, when it came time for the second one, he would know what to do.
Except they were in Chad with limited time together.
Mentally, he kicked his own ass and knew if he was on Mars with only fifteen minutes, he would figure out how to do it. All he had to do was think of it as an op and come up with the appropriate strategy.
How hard could it be?
***
Brooke stared at the bouquet of red roses that had been delivered earlier and wondered how a ten-minute interaction resulted in flowers.
In Chad.
And how in the world did Frisco manage to find roses in a country where many people didn’t have electricity? Seemed the whole SEAL ethos of “where there is a will, there is a way” applied to more than just combat.
And Frisco clearly found a way, because the flowers were beautiful. As she admired the vibrant color, she tried to remember the last time she’d been given flowers and couldn’t. It was such a romantic gesture, and she was surprised to see that men did it anymore. The whole meetup, Netflix-and-chill mentality seemed to make flowers, chivalry, and dating obsolete, so she had no idea what to make of the beautiful bouquet.
Collapsing onto the soft bed, she decided not to overanalyze the gift and just appreciate the lovely gesture from a seriously sexy man. And, Lt. Cmdr. Frisco Jones was smoking hot with his square jaw and dazzling smile. Though muscular blonds were not usually her thing, she decided maybe it could be.
Except he was a SEAL, and that had always been a deal-breaker for her. Her father was one and they had never seen eye to eye on the choices he’d made over the course of his career with the Navy.
His decision to absent himself from most of her childhood was something she’d never really gotten over and, though she knew he’d done it with a greater cause in mind, it didn’t change the final outcome.
That was the part of the warrior story that no one ever told. The one where so much was given by the soldier to his career that he had nothing left to give those at home. Which, if you were a good military wife, you never complained about, and her mother had not been the exception to that rule. Nancy Foster was the perfect wife in all ways and never let her husband know the pain she was in, even when she was battling the final stages of ovarian cancer.
But Brooke knew, as did her grandmother and brother, because they were the ones who were there when her mom had lost the fight and passed away.
Her husband was halfway across the world.
Being an elite warrior came with a price tag that was paid for not only by the soldier, but also by the family, and knowing what that looked like intimately had made her avoid every military man she’d come in contact with.
So why were little swarms of bees taking up residence in her stomach as she thought of Frisco’s smile? Why hadn’t she sent the flowers back and said thanks, but no thanks? Why was she thinking of his handsome face and sparkling eyes?
Why was she asking herself so many questions?
Letting out a frustrated groan, she looked over at the roses again and decided it was nothing more than a nice man sending flowers. And that could mean as much or as little as she chose, and the same was true about sharing a meal together. One dinner didn’t mean she was in danger of duplicating her mother’s story.
For all she knew, he was interested in companionship while in Africa and nothing more.
Which might not be a bad option.
Considering she hadn’t had any in…a very long time.
Maybe she could fix that with Frisco. He was handsome and available. Maybe one sexy night in N’Djamena was what she needed to jump-start her civilian life back into normalcy.
Sitting up abruptly, she decided to quit worrying about what was and what could be. If the opportunity presented itself, then she could decide when the time came.
In the meantime, the Wi-Fi in the lobby and a drink were calling her name, and she was ready to answer. As she got up, a sharp knock on the door startled her, and she wondered who it could be. She checked the peephole and saw a big chest covered in a black T-shirt and still had no clue. “Who is it?”
“It’s Frisco. I came to pick you up for our date.”
Smoothing down her caftan, she took a calming breath, then opened the door. Standing in front of her was a deadly handsome man with a killer smile, who appeared to be nervous. How charming, she thought. “I think you’re a little early.”
Shrugging, he leaned against the doorframe and let out a nervous chuckle. “You don’t know how hard it was to wait as long as I did.” He threw her a wink. “Didn’t have another minute left in me.”
Tilting her head, she studied his face and tried to figure out if he was a nutcase or just overly eager. “I’m getting a weird stalker vibe from you as well as a really sweet one. And since I can’t decide which is stronger, I think we should go down to the lobby.”
“I’m like an overeager beagle. All I want to do is jump around your legs and beg for your attention.” Scraping his hand over his face, he laughed. “That even sounded weird to me. Maybe I should just shut my mouth until my brain reengages.”
As she picked up her purse from the table, she let out a loud laugh. “Actually, I like the beagle analogy. Makes me like you more.”
“Is it the dog thing or something else?”
“It’s the raw, unvarnished truth thing. You’re not trying to be cool, and I like that.”
He let out a deep chuckle and shrugged. “Would you believe me if I told you most people think I’m too cool and kind of annoying?”
“I would; just don’t show me that version, because I like what I’m seeing right now.”
“Noted.”
As she turned toward the bed, she realized she hadn’t thanked him for the flowers. “Oh, my goodness, I almost forgot to thank you for the flowers.” Looking up into his light blue eyes, she saw a pleased expression. “It was the most thoughtful, extravagant, and beautiful gesture.”
Taking a step closer, he lifted her hand and pressed a small kiss against her skin. “Doesn’t a man bring flowers on the first date?”
Looking down at his scarred hand covering hers, she felt a shiver of excitement run down her spine. Maybe a little cool wouldn’t be bad. “I guess. It’s been so long since I’ve been on one, and truth is, I don’t remember what happens anymore.” Seeing his boots move closer, she inhaled deeply and looked up. “Roses, though… How did you manage it?”
“A man never reveals his secrets.” Moving his thumb over her skin, he asked, “Are you as amazing as you seem? Because if you are, I should just throw up the white flag now.”
“People don’t say things like that after ten minutes,” she replied quietly.
He gently lifted her chin and grinned. “For the first time in my life, I’m going to say what I think and hope for the best. To hell with rules and propriety. None of that stuff has a place in what’s going to happen between us.”
“Ever?”
Leaning down, he rested his mouth against her ear and whispered, “Not when we’re alone, but I promise to do my best to behave when we’re in public.”
What in the world was happening? Who was this man wreaking havoc on her senses? How could he make such intimate suggestions so quickly? “I think…”
Eliminating the last bit of space that separated them, he stood flush against her body and raised her wrist to his lips, brushing a soft, sweet kiss across her pulse point. “I want you to understand that when I see something I want, I don’t hesitate or hold back, so get yourself ready, because here I come.”
Okay, decisive and a little alpha might be okay too. Heart beating out of control, a sudden longing stole her breath as pictures of what that would look like filled her mind. Before she could respond, he let her wrist go and tugged her closer, crushing his mouth to hers.
Whoever this man was, he was sexier and more dangerous than anyone she’d ever encountered. Their mouths moved hungrily together, as teeth clashed, and she knew he hadn’t been kidding… There wasn’t going to be anything polite or tempered about them.
Everything she needed to know about his personality was revealed in the way his mouth was mated with hers. The kiss was raw, needy, and hot as hell. Breaking away, she gasped and then let out a little laugh. “Wait a minute.”
Breathing hard, they stared at one another with their noses inches apart. “That’s as long as I can stand,” he growled before he took her mouth again and fisted his hand in her hair.
Giving in to the pleasure, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him her weight. It might be wrong to be doing this with a man she’d known for less than an hour, but she really didn’t care, because all she wanted was more. She let out a sigh and held him tighter, and that was when the kiss softened. He went from hot and greedy to slow and intense, and she was completely lost.
The heat from his body seeped into hers.
His scent surrounded her and filled her senses.
His mouth…his tongue wreaked havoc on her control.
Years had passed with nothing remotely like this occurring and…then boom.
Here he was, kissing her, making her want things she didn’t even remember existed.
When a minute or an hour passed and the kiss ended, she was dizzy with desire, need, and raw lust. Leaning against his wide chest, she rested her head against his heart and felt the irregular beat.
Thank God, it was happening to him as well.
“I knew it,” he said with a voice that sounded like he’d swallowed a bucket of rocks.
“What’s that?” she asked as her heartbeat began to slow down and her ability to breathe returned.
“You’re going to change everything.”
Lifting her head away from his chest, she studied his expression and realized he was dead serious. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“I know it is.” Bringing her body close to his, he gently embraced her and rested his head on top of hers. “No way around it, because that was the best kiss of my life, and I’m hoping it was the same for you.”
“Maybe we should go downstairs and get to know one another before we…” She stepped back and pressed her fingers to her lips.
“Lose control?” he asked with a smile.
Nodding, she felt herself smiling. “Yes.”
Taking her hand, he moved toward the door. “We better get out of here quickly, then, because being around you is making me forget why control is such a good idea.”
Slipping her hand away, she grabbed her key card off the table. “I couldn’t agree more.” As he held the door for her, she looked up into his mischievous grin and wondered which one of them was going to give in first. When she brushed against his body as she walked past, she figured it would be her, because Frisco Jones wasn’t like any man she’d ever met.
Demanding one second, sweet the next, confident and unsure two seconds after that.
What that combination would ultimately mean was going to be interesting to see.