Chapter Eight

“Tell me the exact moment in Holder’s briefing when the monkey hopped in the driver’s seat and took control of the Humvee.” Luke snickered.

Laughter filled the almost empty briefing room. Brenden tried hard to fight it. For all that Holder lacked in presenting his official report of the operational situation and intelligence on their enemy operations in Eurasia, he was an excellent leader and his team had done some good work. But not enough.

Brenden’s gaze floated to the map of the Arabian Peninsula hanging on the wall full of markers and strings identifying inevitable destinations for his team.

“In one hundred eighty days we deploy for Operation Jackal.” His somber tone silenced his faithful six. “We’re still in the dark. Holder’s briefing did not tell us who helped fill those warehouses in Kyrgyzstan with stockpiles of weapons.”

They looked at one another. Without anyone saying a word, Brenden knew they were just as concerned. The rebel militias stayed cunning, seeking ways to increase their arsenals, which would wreak havoc on already war-torn nations the U.S. was aiding in stabilization. And Black 2131 needed to ensure America’s sensitive military tech was kept out of enemy hands.

It was time to uncover how so many weapons were bypassing checkpoints and creating stockpiles big enough to launch a world war.

“CIA put Fajheed in our custody. I say we pay that bastard a visit.” Josh spoke. “See if Sec D can get approval for the use of enhanced interrogation techniques.”

Brenden’s nod seemed to cue the meeting was adjourned. As they were preparing to leave, he pulled his phone from his pocket, and his steps halted. The cute little emoji at the end of Paige’s text trapped him in the matrix. He couldn’t wait to see her tomorrow.

“Who the fuck put that silly-ass grin on your face?” Josh elbowed Brenden while the others cracked into laughs.

“Y’all know who,” Rod said, pushing his chair under the table, “or have you forgotten that we watched Jas put a mutherfucker on his hands and knees over the green dress?”

Trent let out a long whistle. “That was fucking ugly.”

“No shit.” Carlos then released a string of colorful Spanish that told Brenden he thought he was loco.

Brenden ignored them and texted Paige back, confirming pickup time and attire. “Her name is Paige, not Green Dress,” he said, sliding his phone back in his pocket. “She’s pretty, smart, and—”

“You’re sprung!” Linc walked over to Brenden and patted him on the back. “It’s okay. At least now we know why you ain’t going fishing with us tomorrow.”

“I see you boneheads every day. I’ve earned the right to be in the company of a beautiful woman.”

There was no objection. Day after day they had spent hours reviewing intelligence or hitting the smoke. The only way to reduce the sharp frequency of their missions back east was to end the supply chain. Their deadline was closing in. Yet no one could argue against a little R & R, even if Brenden’s version included time spent with the opposite sex.

“So, what you got planned, Jas?” Rod asked. “Last time I checked, you didn’t do dates.”

“Avoided them like the fucking plague.” Linc gave Brenden a pointed look before he erupted in laughter that everyone joined in. “Shit, y’all know I still do.”

Brenden’s chuckle faded. Perhaps he should continue the status quo too. Why had he decided to flirt with chaos? Now wasn’t the time to invite complication, but he knew there was something about Paige. After spilling details on the date he had planned for tomorrow then getting everyone’s Cliffs Notes, they all left MacDill and went home to start their weekends.

Nervous energy followed Brenden throughout the night, rode his back like a witch while he slept, and woke him up in the morning with uncertainty knotted in his gut. For a while, he lay in bed, debating the excitement of seeing Paige against wanting to shy away from the risk and vulnerabilities it would expose him to. He then remembered the way she sat in the corners of his mind and how his heart raced at the sight of her, and with firm determination he left the warmth of his bed.

Two hours later, he rang the doorbell at her little yellow bungalow.

“Coming,” she singsonged seconds before the door opened.

Gorgeous, sexy, the woman had definitely been a goddess in another life and brought beauty back with her into this lifetime. “Morning!”

“Morning.” She smiled, then bit her lip as her eyes scanned him. “Come in. I’m almost ready.”

“Umm…about that.” Brenden stepped inside her house and closed the door. A sweetness that reminded him of flowers blooming near sand dunes wafted through his senses and calmed his heart rate. It had spiked the minute he saw her bright smile. “I said casual clothes.”

“Yeah, I am.” She pulled at her graphic tee then slowly turned, checking out her outfit.

And so did he. He felt his cock stir. That ass was magnificent in those jeans. But they wouldn’t be able to do half of what he had planned. “You can’t kayak in jeans and heels.”

She gave him the aha moment face, which caused him to laugh. “Okay,” she added, “let me change. Promise it won’t take long.” She disappeared around the corner. “Should I wear a swimsuit?” she shouted from the back of her house.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” he called back and then started looking around her place.

He felt like a newborn voyeur scanning her living room space that framed his mind as glamour meets bohemian chic. The blush-colored walls, hot pink credenza, and pops of turquoise and lime within her rug presented a mixture of colors and textiles in ways he never imagined while showcasing supreme femininity and a love of art.

“You sure do love art,” he said, loud enough for her to hear him as he cataloged the many mediums of art from oil on canvas to pottery accessorizing her space. He couldn’t help remembering the way she had decoded the Denaiu that night he found her at the museum. It was like something you’d expect from an expert curator at the Smithsonian.

As he continued exploring her space, waiting on an answer, he came to an abstract piece hanging over the mantel in a small sitting room that made him hold his breath. He took a step closer, angling his head from side to side. His eyes and imagination went to work as he deciphered a birch tree full of life at the top, but rotting at the bottom. The background was bright and airy at the treetop, and then it seemed that shadows formed where two swallows were in flight. The vibrant colors faded and became a mute monotone brown. Another look revealed that one of the birds had a broken wing and wasn’t really flying, but descending to the dark ground, which the other bird couldn’t save it from.

…

“Art and I have an interesting relationship.” She eased to his side, watching as he analyzed the piece that had made her graduate portfolio legendary while remaining unwilling to explain that her relationship with art began when her twin brother died. “I can see how one would think that I love it.”

“So, you don’t love it?”

“No, but it loves me.” She did her best to steady her voice. This topic was off-limits.

“Your collection, this piece”—he removed his gaze from the painting and faced her—“is a mental roller coaster. I go from feeling flighty to rooted in reality, to avoiding thoughts of death. It’s intriguing.”

“I get that a lot.” She wasn’t lying. It was the reason she was an advocate for the art therapy center and why she had been asked to be the dean of the art college. However, she still struggled with her genius. She turned away and grabbed her bag from the couch. “Are you ready?”

Brenden nodded, and they proceeded out of her front door to his waiting car. “I guess I should’ve caught the hint that I was overdressed when you showed up in surf-boy pants and flip-flops.”

Her giggle was answered with a deep-bellied chuckle. “I just hope you’re ready for the great outdoors.”

“Do I strike you as the outdoorsy type?”

Brenden stopped midstride. He scanned her before his eyes bore into hers. “Can you run, jump, and swim?” She nodded. “Then I can teach you the rest.” He continued to the passenger side door and opened it.

Maybe she was going batshit crazy, but the confidence enveloping Brenden melted her damn bikini bottoms. She slid into the car knowing that if she didn’t keep her wits about her, the man would have those bikini bottoms before noon.

After a ninety-minute car ride north, the easy flow of conversation between them faded when Brenden turned down a dirt road. Paige sat up in her seat and peered out her window at the dense forest surrounding them. She had never been an outdoorsy kind of girl, and this was a bit unexpected.

“So you should know, I don’t do hunting, fishing, or anything that would require me to go into these woods and see Bambi and his gang.” She looked over at Brenden and forced the sweetest I mean this shit smile she had in her arsenal.

His eyes didn’t leave the road, but a grin spread across his face. “Now, why would I send a pretty li’l thing like you into the woods?” He winked to show her he was just teasing. “Besides, I said kayaking.” He turned the wheel again and eased off the gas.

An emerald blanket of grass came into view with a quaint wood cabin upon it. Trees still bordered each side, but toward the rear of the house beyond a fire pit on the side lawn there seemed to be a chasm between where the grass stopped and big cypress trees started again.

Brenden brought the car to a stop. “Welcome to my river house,” he said before exiting the car to come open her door. “Come, let me show you something.”

He took her hand and told her how he inherited his grandfather’s cabin and the extensive interior renovation he had completed a few years ago while leading her across the lawn. They ended at the edge of the yard where it met the side of a river. Her nervous energy settled as she breathed in fresh air and took in views of calm, blissfully blue waters stretching for miles. “It’s beautiful.”

“So are you.” He took a step closer, gently squeezing her fidgeting hands. “Are you nervous to be here with me, Dr. Nichols?” He released a slow panty-melting smile while staring down into her eyes.

She lied, shaking her head no. There was something about Brenden that unsettled the very ground she stood on. He was strong, yet gentle with her. His smile, those gorgeous eyes, and the way her body rejoiced at being near his.

Yet he was probably used to having this effect on women. How many had he brought here? Her insecurities flared to life. “Why would I be nervous? Is that how the other women you’ve brought here react?”

Brenden’s fingers slid from her hands and he took a step back. “I’ve never brought another woman here unless you count my mother, sister, or niece, and that’s been years.”

“I—”

“Let’s unload and get on the river before the sun makes it too hot.” He turned and started back toward his car.

An awkward silence sat between them as they made quick work of unloading, changing, and returning to the riverbank. Once they launched the two-seater kayak into the water, whatever gray cloud that was attempting to form over them dissipated, allowing light conversation and carefree spirits to regain control.

A long time had passed since Paige experienced such an idyllic setting. As they paddled through the water, the clear, open skies allowed the sun to beam in and give the river a turquoise glow. The fresh air and wildlife bespoke old Florida charm, and not for the first time did she wonder what would come out on her canvas.

The thought was startling, considering that it was rare for her to paint in a happy state. Art had always been sad, yet brilliant and full of beautiful pain. In one word, complicated.

“All you have to do is paddle, Nichols.” Brenden’s comical voice refocused her attention. She then realized they were drifting toward a brush. “Oar needs to meet water.” He then used his paddle and maneuvered a series of deep strokes that took them away from the riverbank.

“Backseat driver.” She whipped around to him, sticking out her tongue. The weight of the movement rocked the boat. She panicked, moving fast again to adjust, but before she knew it, they were both in the water.

A strong, hard arm circled her waist. “You okay?” He searched her wet face for an answer while extending his other arm to secure the kayak. “You’re short, but you should be able to stand up. The spring isn’t that deep.”

Paige stood on both feet and erupted in giggles. Her laughter quieted as she gazed up into Brenden’s face. He hadn’t let her go, and he still held her like he never would.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted with all seriousness. “About earlier. I—”

He silenced her with a kiss that begged for more. She wrapped her arms around him and savored the feel of his lips upon hers, then claimed the unspoken desire that had reached down and touched the depths of her soul. The connection between them bloomed.

They made good use of their remaining time on the river before paddling to a dock where they left the kayak and grabbed food at a cozy riverfront bar. After which they trekked a nature trail to stand at the top of a waterfall and watch the sunset.

When they arrived back at the cabin, Brenden wasted no time loading the car. A part of Paige wished that he would’ve suggested staying for the night. Only, her time out with Brenden established that he was a man of his word, and he had promised to have her back home tonight. So she grudgingly left the heaven on earth they had found.

An hour and a half later, Brenden parked in Paige’s driveway. She wasn’t ready to say goodnight. Not after the day they had shared. “Would you like to come inside? Coffee, tea, ice cream,” she offered, extending all her southern hospitality.

A bold gaze raked across her body. He had hungry eyes, and her little naughty girl was dancing on the inside. “Ice cream sounds good.”

Paige popped the car door, grabbed her belongings, and started up the sidewalk to her front door. Brenden had been a gentleman all day, but now she wanted him inside—and not just her house.

“Is ice cream all you want to give me?” Brenden’s husky voice whispered in her ear as she turned the key in the lock and opened the door. “I think you may have something better.”

Paige dropped her stuff and pulled Brenden inside. He kicked the door closed and held her tight in his arms. She accepted his wild and reckless passion, kissing him until their essence was one.

A harsh vibration on Brenden’s left arm sent shock waves around her waist. With much reluctance, he pulled away, then looked at that little half watch, half phone tech device on his wrist. His brows creased, but his attention was unwavering. Apparently, it was not something he could ignore.

“I have to go.” He steadied his breath as his large hand raked through his hair. He muttered a curse.

His eyes avoided direct contact and then he glanced back to his wrist. Tight lips pressed into a grimace before he did an about-face. There was no goodbye as he left out the front door then took off jogging across the lawn, leaving her on the steps of her front porch.

Paige dashed behind him. “Brenden, wait!” He kept going. “Brenden!”

“I have to go.” He grabbed his door handle. “My team needs me, and I can’t be thinking about you.”

His words were harsh, stinging like open eyes did in the ocean. However, she wasn’t a stranger to this. Her father was a retired navy admiral and both her brothers were officers in the U.S. Military. She’d seen the sad faces at farewells and watched her brothers meet their children for the first time via satellite. Hell, a college friend married her groom from North Carolina while he was in Lebanon. These were all the reasons her father and brothers had warned her away from being involved with military men. She had avoided them until now.

She caught Brenden by the arm and gulped hard. “Then go to them. But when the smoke clears, you come back to me.”

His lips pressed against hers, melting them to cinders with his searing kiss. Her body burst into flames like a newborn phoenix as their tongues tasted, then dueled for supremacy. Paige broke for breath and Brenden recaptured her lips. She gave him the best of her and hoped this wouldn’t be the last time she saw the handsome face she would remember forever.