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HAILEY’S PHONE BUZZED on the nightstand of her hotel room, and she glanced at it, shocked to see Grayson’s name flash on the screen. It had been nearly a week since they’d talked, and she’d missed their nightly phone conversations more than she wanted to admit.
The five-hour cross-country flight earlier that day had been uncomfortable with her still-healing ribs. She’d been on painkillers when she flew from Landstuhl back to DC, but this time, she’d sat in the uncomfortable seat with only a couple of Tylenol to relieve her discomfort. Although she was doing better than a week ago, sitting in the same position hadn’t done her any favors.
She was sore and exhausted, and her first night on the west coast involved nothing more than relaxing in bed.
Her belongings had arrived ahead of her in San Diego, and the moving company was holding them for a week in storage until her apartment was ready. She’d need to buy a car out here, buy more clothes and personal items since many of her things had been ruined overseas, and then get settled into her new apartment a mere seven days from now.
Just the thought of unpacking and decorating was overwhelming, but she hoped she’d be feeling even stronger by then. Moping around her parents’ house wouldn’t do any good. She’d practically been bored out of her mind for the past week.
And her exhaustion now was probably from the flight, time change, and still-healing injuries.
Groaning as she reached for her phone, she realized she’d bitten off more than she could chew. Her parents had offered to come out to California with her, to help her get settled, but she’d insisted she could do it all alone. Now, she was doubting herself. A long day of travel had left her with a pounding headache, and she gingerly touched her forehead. She was supposed to go into her new office a couple of days this week for training before the current person left. Although she knew having someone show her the ropes would be immensely helpful, at the moment, she also felt like crap.
Picking up her phone, she smiled as she saw Grayson’s message. He really was back. And she was here in San Diego. Instead of talking on the phone every night, she’d actually get to see him soon. Hopefully even within the next few days, as long as she was feeling better. She assumed he was busy on base right now but quickly texted a reply anyway:
Yay! I’m so glad you’re back. Guess what? I’m here, too! I’ve got training in my new office this week. I can’t wait to hear your voice again. xoxo Hailey
She almost deleted the “xoxo” but at the last minute, left it there. What the heck. They’d spent hours on the phone talking. She couldn’t wait to see him. Certainly, he was at least as enthusiastic about her as she felt towards him. A man wouldn’t spend hours talking on the phone with a woman he wasn’t interested in.
Grayson was as different from most men she’d met as night and day. He was macho and buff, sure. He’d literally charged in there and rescued her back in Bagram. But he was sweet, too. He’d brought her flowers in Germany. And she certainly wouldn’t expect a man like him to talk on the phone for hours, taking the time to get to know her. He’d called her every single night when he’d been here.
Goodness, after all this, she was excited and a bit nervous to see him again. She liked him. Really liked him. And oddly enough, they’d connected even more being apart. Would he hug her when she first saw him? Kiss her hello?
They weren’t officially dating or something, but he’d been more than attentive the few times they had been together.
Nervous butterflies filled her stomach. Maybe the first time she saw him would be their date. He’d pick her up and take her to dinner—or she’d meet him somewhere. She didn’t have a car yet, but she could catch a cab.
Somehow she didn’t think Grayson would like that though. He’d seemed protective of her in all their conversations, and she didn’t doubt he’d want to pick her up himself for their date, even if she was just staying in a hotel room for the next week.
She set her phone back down on the nightstand, assuming she wouldn’t hear from him again tonight. If he just got back, no doubt he’d be busy in meetings and probably be totally exhausted.
Looking around the room, she decided to watch TV for a bit before bed. She was still on East Coast time, and it was late, but she wanted her body to adjust sooner rather than later. She flipped through the channels, finally settling on a home decorating show. She loved watching things like that where they updated houses, and she could use some decorating ideas for her new apartment.
She fell asleep with the TV on, dreaming both of decorating her apartment and seeing her handsome Navy SEAL.
***
THE NEXT MORNING, HAILEY felt awful. Her ribs still ached, but she was burning up. She thought for sure she’d come down with the flu. Raising a hand to her forehead, she realized how hot it was. Fortunately, she did have some Tylenol with her, but she didn’t have much in the way of provisions.
She stood up and immediately started shivering. Damn. It was hot in San Diego, and she was burning up, but her room still felt freezing at the moment. It was weird to be both hot and cold at the same time, but she managed to stagger across the hotel room into the bathroom. She drank a few sips of water and took some medicine, then settled back under the covers. She didn’t know what time it was, but her entire body ached.
Tucking the blankets around herself, she snuggled deeper into the soft bed. Several hours later, the buzzing of her phone on her nightstand woke her up. Groggily, she realized it wasn’t just a text, Grayson was calling her.
“Hello?” she croaked.
“Hailey? Are you okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.
She cleared her throat. “Yeah. I think I caught the flu or something. I kind of feel like I got run over by a truck.”
“Damn. I’m sorry, sweetheart. Maybe you shouldn’t come out here yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“I got your text that you were starting in your new office next week. Maybe you shouldn’t fly out if you’re sick.”
“Well, it’s too late for that. I’m already here,” she said lamely.
“Wait. What? When did you get here?”
“Yesterday afternoon.” She shivered, pulling the blankets closer around herself. Although she’d probably been asleep for hours, she was still totally exhausted.
“You moved into your apartment?” he asked, sounding shocked.
“No, my lease doesn’t start for a week. I’m staying in a hotel right now. They asked me to come in a few days next week to train for my new position. It will be the other person’s last week, so I’m going in a couple of times just to learn the ropes. I wasn’t expecting to feel like death warmed over though.”
“Hell. Do you need anything? I can pick up some food or medicine and bring it to you. You’re in a hotel?”
“You’re back?”
“I am. Tell me what you need, and I’ll swing by.”
“Grayson, that’s sweet, but I feel awful. I’m sure I look even worse. I’ll just order room service or something. What time is it anyway? I took some medicine earlier for my fever but fell back asleep.”
“One p.m.”
“One in the afternoon?!”
“Yeah. Have you been asleep all morning?”
“Yeah,” she said softly.
“Where are you staying? Hell, sweetheart. The guys and I just got in last night, and I crashed. If I knew you were here in San Diego and sick though, I would’ve come straight there.”
“I wasn’t sick last night,” she assured him. “Plus, I’m sure you were exhausted after being gone all week. It’s just the flu or something Grayson. I’m not dying,” she teased.
“Yeah, well, I still would’ve come by and helped you. Yeah, I was wiped, but I slept really well when I finally crashed and can come by. I had to go into base for an hour earlier but am off for the next few days. I’ll bring you some things; just tell me what you need.”
“Um, I don’t know. Maybe some soup and crackers if you’re serious. I can order room service,” she hastily added.
“Hailey,” he chided gently. “I can’t wait to see you. Of course I don’t mind picking up a few things to drop off since you’re sick.”
“Well, only if you’re sure.”
“It’s no trouble,” he assured her. “Tell me the address, and I’ll swing by this afternoon.”
She gave him the name of the hotel and her room number, and within the hour, Grayson was knocking on her door. Hailey stood up and swayed slightly, feeling lightheaded. She still hadn’t eaten anything, just sipped on some water and slept.
Grayson frowned as she opened the door, and she knew she looked awful. Her scar obviously hadn’t healed, and she was burning up and still cold. She’d changed into joggers and a tee shirt last night, and she shivered as she stood there in the doorway.
“Shit, Hailey.” His gaze swept the room, and she knew there wasn’t much to see—her suitcase and carryon. The clothes she’d worn yesterday. Some discarded tissues and her room service tray from last night.
“I was supposed to put that back in the hallway,” she said, taking a step back.
She swayed slightly on her feet, and Grayson quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, muttering a curse.
“I’ll take you back to my apartment,” he said, setting down the bag of food he’d picked up. There was a white paper bag that seemed to be holding chicken noodle soup, judging from the aroma, and a plastic bag from the grocery store with some medicine and snacks inside.
“Grayson,” she said weakly. “You just got back.”
“Yep. And I’m taking you with me. I can’t leave you here in a hotel room like this burning up with a fever.”
She nodded weakly, looking at him with watery eyes.
“Shit, what did I say?” he asked, looking worried.
“Nothing. It’s just—you’re sweet. My parents wanted to fly out here with me to help me move into my new place, and I told them that wasn’t necessary. My ribs really are doing a lot better. It’s just I caught the flu or something.”
He nodded. “Sit down. I’ll get your suitcase and things. Do you want to eat this here so it doesn’t get cold?” he asked, nodding toward the bags he’d left on the floor.
“Um. Okay. I haven’t eaten since last night.”
He frowned but helped ease her back into the bed and then brought the paper bag to her, carefully lifting the soup out of it. He set it on the nightstand as he pulled the covers up around her, clearly noticing that she was still cold.
“Your beard is longer,” she said, looking at him. Grayson looked tanner than when she’d last seen him and had dark circles under his eyes. She wondered how much sleep he’d gotten on whatever mission he’d been on. The man looked exhausted, and here he was taking care of her.
He still looked tempting as hell though—tall, muscular. His hazel eyes warmed as he caught her watching him. “Yep. I haven’t shaved yet. We were there for a week, and it’s better just to let it grow.”
She nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.” Grayson hadn’t told her where he was going of course, but she’d assumed he was back in the Middle East. She had met him in Bagram after all. They looked at each other a moment. “I know you can’t tell me where you were,” she said.
“I can’t,” he said, looking relieved that she understood. He sank down onto the edge of her bed, watching as she carefully took a spoonful of her soup. “We haven’t really talked much about my job, but as you probably know, I won’t ever be able to discuss the details with you. We left more abruptly than usual this time—I didn’t even get to call you, which sucked. But when I do go on missions, I can’t say where I’m going or even how long I’ll be gone.”
“I understand. I mean, shoot, I didn’t even know half of what was going on in my own office. It comes with the territory.”
He nodded, looking at her intently.
“What?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing. I just can’t believe you’re out here.”
“Yeah, and what a lousy first impression I’m making—sick in bed again.”
His lips quirked. “Nope. The first time I saw you was in your office. And trust me, you made a hell of an impression.”
She laughed, looking at him. “What? Looking intimidated by you and your teammates all coming in? You guys were kind of scary looking,” she admitted.
Grayson stilled. “I’d never hurt you.”
“I know. I didn’t mean it like that.”
He nodded, still watching her. “You’re making me nervous,” she said softly.
“Sorry. I know I can be intense sometimes. I’m just happy as hell that you’re here. I wish you weren’t sick, but damn. I thought it’d be another week or two before I got to see you in person. I was looking forward to calling you today, but this is a hell of a lot better.”
“Surprise,” she said weakly.
He laughed. “You certainly do know how to surprise a man.”
She took another careful bite of her soup. “How’d you get here so fast anyway?”
“I live close by,” he said with a chuckle. “Pretty much just down the street actually. Is your apartment going to be around here?”
She nodded. “I wanted to be close to the beach as long as I was out here. Close to work, too, of course. I’m not interested in sitting in traffic. My apartment’s not right on the water or anything, but close enough.”
“I get it,” he agreed, smiling as he looked down at her. “I love the water, too.”
“Makes sense considering you’re in the Navy,” she said lightly.
“Yep. And speaking of work-related things—I guess you heard your friend is still missing.”
“Yeah,” she said, looking at him with a frown. “It’s been awful not knowing what happened to Kim. I think they searched the destroyed part of the building.”
“They did. Another woman is missing as well.”
Hailey shuddered. “I still can’t believe any of that happened. They interviewed me at the Pentagon a few days ago—I had to give my statement about the incident and my injuries and close out my old job. Just signing papers and whatnot.” He nodded. “They did ask if I’d noticed anything suspicious. I’m not sure what there was to say. People came and went all the time—but it was a secure area. It’s not like strangers off the street were wandering in.”
“You did everything right,” he assured her.
“I hope so. I felt like they wanted more, you know?”
“More?”
“Yeah, they asked if I’d noticed anyone acting suspiciously. My desk was out front, so I saw people coming and going every day. I’d have no way of knowing what they were doing though.”
“They’re questioning everyone,” he assured her.
“I know. It just worried me. I understand they have to investigate the bombing and stuff, but I don’t like knowing that my office was somehow involved.”
He eyed her half-empty soup container. “Should we bring that with us?” He lifted his hand and lightly touched her forehead. “You’re still warm. I’ve got some medicine at home but picked up some aspirin on my way over.”
“You’re serious about me coming to your apartment.”
“Absolutely.”
She looked at him a moment, and Grayson reached down and picked up her hand. “Let me take care of you, sweetheart. It’s silly for you to stay here in a hotel when I’ve got plenty of space. Besides, you’re sick. You’ll be more comfortable at my place where I have a kitchen and sofa and everything. I can fix you something to eat, and you won’t be relying on room service.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Of course I’m right,” he said with a wink. “Do you need to do anything, or should I just grab your suitcase?”
“I didn’t unpack.”
“Yep, I can see that,” he said with a chuckle. He grabbed her clothes from yesterday, grinning as he palmed her panties.
“Grayson,” she squealed.
“Not the first time I’ve seen your panties,” he said with a smirk. He dropped her things into her suitcase and zipped it shut, looking proud of himself.
“What? Oh my God. You’re talking about in Bagram, right? When I was bleeding and—”
“I grabbed the first piece of clothing I saw,” he continued. “The building was on fire, Hailey. I improvised.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just embarrassed all your teammates probably saw them, too.”
“They don’t care,” he said quickly.
She eyed him doubtfully.
“Look, I think they were sexy as hell, but the damn building was burning down. I needed to stop your bleeding. I promise you don’t need to be worried.”
She nodded, and pushing aside the covers, stood up. She was instantly cold again, and Grayson crossed toward her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Do you have a sweatshirt or something?”
“Not here. I’ve got more clothes in storage, but a lot was ruined in the fire.”
“No matter, I’ve got one you can use at my place.”
“I probably don’t need to bring my whole suitcase,” Hailey said, watching as he easily lifted it up.
“Humor me.”
She laughed softly. It might’ve been funnier if she didn’t feel so damn awful. “Are you always so bossy?” she joked.
“Yep.”
She shook her head but let him guide her out of the hotel room. This was even crazier than when they’d met—she was going to stay in his apartment. She assumed he had a guest room or something, but at this point, she’d be happy to crash on the sofa. Grayson kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the hallway, and she sighed in contentment. Things were easy with him—they just clicked. She couldn’t explain the how or the why, but right now, she didn’t question it either. She felt more centered than she had in days now that Grayson was at her side. She’d go with it for now. Goodness knows they’d be back to work and their hectic lives before she knew it.
