Page 11 of The Night Ride (SEALs on Wheels #3)

Chapter seven

F uck me sideways!

Beth was still the most gorgeous woman on the planet.

I wasn’t certain how, but she’d grown even more beautiful in the past five years.

That inky hair was shorter, just barely past her shoulders and I ached to run my fingers through it.

But it was her soulful hazel eyes that grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t relent.

And she wanted nothing to do with me.

I didn’t blame her for keeping her distance. I bungled our relationship—horribly—the last time we were in each other’s company. I could recall that night with perfect clarity. The only night I’d ever held her in my arms or tasted her.

“We need to help her deal with whoever is stealing from her.” I dared Lucas and Wyatt to disagree with my statement.

Wyatt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck, you’re right. But we’re running out of leave time to complete this mission. We could all stay and finish up here. Then I could deliver Paige and Nora’s letters once I retire in three months.”

“To hell with that!” Lucas exclaimed like he was offended by the suggestion.

I ignored Lucas and looked at Wyatt. “I know. I’ll stay behind. You guys can head to the next destination.”

“Fuck, we’re supposed to do this together.” Lucas scowled with grief in his eyes. We were dealing with Evan’s loss as well as could be expected.

“As much as we all want to do that, life continues mess with it, and we’re dealing as things come up. Do you think Evan would want us to leave one of his sisters like this, with someone stealing from her?”

“No. It’s just…we’re all going our separate ways,” Lucas said with a sigh. His malaise wasn’t only about Evan. It was also about the family we’d made as a team dispersing.

“We’ll always be brothers from other mothers, Lucas. I think Evan would want us to complete the task and wouldn’t necessarily be in a quandary over how it was achieved. He would understand our desire to help where we could,” Wyatt stated with somber eyes.

“I’ll stay behind.” I offered again. It was my chance to atone.

“Why you?” Lucas asked and glanced at Beth in the living room making up the couch. There was a hint of interest in his eyes I knew all too well. Like hell I would leave him here with Beth.

“Because I’m the best one when it comes to comms and electronics, and you know it. So don’t argue. I’m staying. You two head out in the morning.”

“You planning to meet up with us?” Wyatt asked with understanding in his eyes. Fucker always had seen more than he let on.

Yet he had asked a question that I didn’t have an answer for. Because maybe there’s a part of me that wanted to atone not only to Evan but to Beth as well. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to meet you somewhere in California. It depends on how quickly we can capture the culprit behind the missing funds.”

“Good enough.” Wyatt nodded. “Lucas and I will head out at first light. You should take the guest bedroom since you’re staying. I’ll bunk on the couch and Lucas can take the sofa bed in the office.”

“Hey, don’t I get a say?” Lucas held up his hands with a frown.

Wyatt shook his head. “Not in this you don’t. Aiden’s right. He’s the best when it comes to this type of shit. We’ve got a hell of a long ride coming up, so we should finish our dinner, thank our hostess, and get some shut eye.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Lucas begrudgingly saluted Wyatt with an exasperated sigh.

Beth waltzed back into the kitchen and started putting leftovers away.

“Thanks for dinner, Beth. Anything we can do to help?” Wyatt asked as he rose with his empty plate and carried it over to the sink.

She took the plate from him. “No, I’ve got it. And I’m sorry I’m not the greatest hostess tonight. It was sweet of you guys to come all this way. What time are you planning to head out in the morning?”

“Lucas and I are leaving at first light.” Wyatt informed her as she put the dishes in the dishwasher.

Beth stopped what she was doing and glanced at the three of us, but she didn’t look at me directly. “And Aiden?”

“I’m staying. I’ll get those cameras installed and help get to the bottom of the theft before I head out.”

“But I don’t want you.”

A punch of unexpected lust her sharp words conjured rushed through me. There had been another time and place when she had wanted me. When she’d clung to me like a second skin and had felt at home in my arms. When I had entertained thoughts of permanence with a woman a decade my junior.

“I don’t want you either, sweetheart.” A total bald-faced lie.

After all this time, I still wanted her.

There wasn’t a day that had passed in the last five years when I hadn’t thought about her or remembered the small slice of time we had together.

The night had been legendary even though our time had been temporary.

I tried to forget her in the arms of other women, but none of it had helped.

I looked for her, for the same traits she had in other women and never found them.

Because she was one of a kind. I’d known it that night and still knew it now. She wasn’t the for a good time call type of woman, she was the once in a lifetime, will never find another who’s better kind.

“But I’m staying and finishing the mission.”

“I can kick you out.” She threatened with her hands on her glorious hips. I could recall precisely how we’d lined up on the dance floor and how the gentle sway of her hips felt against mine.

“You can. But I’m not leaving this city nor leaving you to find the thief on your own. I’ll complete the last mission your brother sent me on and that’s that.”

In her eyes, her disdain blared for all and sundry to view.

Before she could disagree, I barreled over any objections. “You can hate me all you want but I’m not leaving until the job is done.”

We glared at one another, having a wordless argument because she was too refined to yell at me in front of Wyatt and Lucas and broadcast our history.

When she realized I would never back down, she finally rolled her eyes.

“Fine. We’ll have a chat about the cameras, tomorrow. I’m not doing this tonight.”

She walked over to Wyatt. “It was good of you guys to come.” And she hugged Wyatt and Lucas. But she avoided me like I had leprosy and exited the kitchen without a backward glance.

We’d have plenty of time to discuss things.

I wasn’t letting this go. She could be pissed all she wanted over the way we left things.

Much of it was my fault. But to be clear, she never stated she was Evan’s sister that night.

A man couldn’t be faulted because she looked different.

Of course, I remembered meeting her years prior, but the siren I met at the bar hadn’t looked a thing like the girl I met when I went home with Evan that one time.

“You sure you want to stay behind? She doesn’t seem to like you much,” Wyatt asked, scratching his head.

“I can stay if you don’t want to, because you’re right, we need to make sure she’s protected. Evan would want us to make it so.” Lucas glanced down the hall where Beth had just been with far too much male interest.

I bit back the snarl that wanted to claw its way free. Lucas might be one of the best guys I knew, but he wasn’t good for Beth. No one was good enough for her—not even me.

But I’d be damned if I would allow a dude that gets pussy whenever he wanted it to try it with her. She deserved far better than that.

“I’m staying and don’t fucking argue with me,” I chewed him out.

Wyatt raised a brow, which was as emotional as the guy ever fucking got. Lucas whipped his head in my direction and cast a smirk.

“You can’t tell me that you don’t think Evan’s sister is smoking hot.”

I’d never wanted to pummel Lucas more. And it took everything inside me not to do precisely that. “Careful, you don’t get to think of her that way.”

“I call ‘em like I see them.”

Forget it. Maybe I would pound his ass into the dirt. “You aren’t to look at her with anything but respect from here on out or I’ll make you regret it.”

“Yeah? You and what army?” Lucas puffed up his chance, his stance at the ready for a coming attack.

“Let’s not forget I whoop you in PT every time. I can still take your ass down.”

Lucas appeared like he was going to charge me.

Wyatt stepped between us and placed a firm hand on each of our chests. “Enough. Lucas, go for a ride. I’d like to speak to Aiden.”

Lucas growled. Shot Wyatt a glare and had a pissing match. But everyone knew that Wyatt would pull rank when push came to shove. Then he glanced skyward inhaling a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll be back in an hour, fuckers.”

Lucas stormed out. I didn’t want to leave it like this. But I would protect Beth from him. He would only leave her broken-hearted. I’d protect her from any man who meant her harm in any way.

“What the hell was that all about?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t bullshit me or make me pull rank.

You’ve got about five seconds to explain why you’re acting territorial.

” Stone faced Wyatt stared me down with rabid determination.

He’d pummel the truth out of me if he had to.

And there’s a startlingly good chance he would win, because the fucker was just that good in a fight.

“I owe it to Evan. And Lucas was looking at her like she was his next conquest.”

“And? She’s a beautiful woman.” Wyatt shrugged.

“Beth and I kissed a handful of years ago and Evan interrupted. I crossed the line and need to make amends.”

Wyatt pursed his lips and contemplated me. Glaciers moved faster than he did sometimes. “You sure that’s all this is?”

No. But I wasn’t going to admit that being back in her presence after all these years had given rise to feelings inside me I thought were long gone. “Yep. It’s the only way I can make amends for breaking our code.”

“Fair enough. But it’s okay if you want more too. You are allowed a life outside the SEALs. Might do you a world of good.”

“I tried that. Didn’t work out.” The memory of my marriage crashing and burning, while no longer as raw as it once had been, was still a wound that had festered.

“Yeah, because you were young and stupid and chose the wrong woman. Doesn’t mean you’ll be wrong this time.”

I knew that deep down. However, “I still have two years in. A lot can happen during that time.”

“You don’t have to be a monk.”

“Look who’s talking.” I wasn’t a monk, I was selective. I chose women who didn’t want more from me than a night, a chance to say they had fucked a SEAL. But who went on their way once the night was done.

“Never said I was a monk. I just don’t blare it like Lucas. We chose a hard life. You know this. We take our happiness where we find it because we don’t know when our number will be up.”

“I’m not going to do anything.” At least, I didn’t think I would. Although if she came out of the room in a towel or some frilly white negligee, all bets were off. “I’ll meet you guys either on the way or on the return trip.”

I vowed to complete this mission, and that’s what I would do. I owed it to Evan to complete his final mission.

“Works for me. I’m gonna sleep in the office. Lucas can bunk on the couch for being a hotheaded idiot.”

“I’ll see you in the morning before you head out.”

“And you need to examine why you’re all bent out of shape over Lucas looking at Beth and appreciating the fact that she’s a beautiful woman.”

I doubted it would solve the problem. Because being near her again, I ached to touch her. When it was something I could never do. I swore I would never touch her again, and it was an oath I made to Evan I would uphold.

“She’s Evan’s sister.” That should explain it all right there.

“So. Evan’s gone. I’d bet my pension that if his sister were to shack up with anyone, he’d want it to be one of us over some other schmuck.”

“I’m the last person she would want.” I didn’t mean to say it out loud.

Wyatt chuckled. “Yeah, you are an ugly son of a bitch. But out of the three of us, there’s this tension between the two of you and it’s palpable.

Anyone with eyes can see it, including Lucas, or he wouldn’t be so bent out of shape.

I say if she’s someone you want, as long as you’re not looking to hit it and quit it, then why wouldn’t you. ”

I didn’t have an answer for him. Because even though it was on the tip of my tongue to mention the vow I swore to Evan that night long ago, I didn’t.

Beth couldn’t still want me, could she?