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Lilly Girard squeezed her hands together and stared out the darkened side-window of the Mercedes SUV to hide her insecurity. She wasn’t sure how Jack and Jillian had talked her into going to their cousin Kuk’s club in Cancun. Mayan Nites had always been a place for young people to meet and hook up. Pushing thirty-five, Lilly had just kissed her two darling boys goodnight. Sure, she was single, but wasn’t looking for a man—temporary or otherwise.
“I’m so glad you decided to go out with us tonight.” Jillian turned around in the passenger’s seat and smiled. “It’s going to be fun. Just the way to start off our wedding week festivities.” Jillian reached over to the driver’s side and took Jack’s hand.
In six days, Jack and Jillian would vow to love each other forever, in front of family and friends. Their Christmastime romance had initially shocked the entire Girard family.
Even though Jillian had been briefly married to Lilly’s and Jack’s youngest brother—Jimmy had been murdered in a drive-by shooting a few months after their Las Vegas wedding—none of the Girards had known Jillian and the daughter she’d had with Jimmy, Addison, until they’d accepted the invitation to celebrate the holidays with the family in Cancun.
Jack had fallen in love with Addison first, and then her mother. Having a little girl in the family had been so wonderful, yet heartbreaking, for Lilly.
After getting to know her sister-in-law better over the past five months, Lilly was so happy Jillian had found love once again and was going to remain part of the family. Watching Jack, the playboy former SEAL, fall hard and fast for the quiet and studious Jillian, had been entertaining.
The heated glance Jack and Jillian exchanged said it all.
They were so in love.
While happy for them, a jab of pain wrapped around Lilly’s heart and pumped doubt throughout her body. She had been in love with her sons’ father, but he’d never looked at her that way.
Her gaze trailed to Jillian’s face, enraptured in the man beside her. In retrospect, Lilly wasn’t sure she’d ever looked at Dr. Brighton Carlisle with that captivated expression. Maybe at first, when she’d been enthralled with the idea of their future together. And all her dreams had come true. She’d become a successful corporate attorney, he a renowned orthopedic surgeon. He’d slid easily into the Chicago social life she’d grown up within, surrounded by friends and family. Girard International, her family’s business, was a patron of the arts and sports so they had box seats for everything from the ballet to the orchestra, and a loges to watch the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, and, yes, both the Cubs and the White Sox. Then there was the big house in the suburbs with a fenced yard for their two children.
For nine years she and he-who-didn’t-deserve-to-be-named had lived that life—a life that had been perfect.
Or so Lilly had thought. But now she was single, and thankful to be rid of her cheating ex. She wasn’t looking to replace him. Ever. Her two young sons filled her life with unbelievable joy as they discovered the world around them. She had a wonderful job as the attorney for her family’s corporation, and she loved her life in Chicago. She also enjoyed getting away to their vacation home in Cancun.
“Don’t worry, sis,” Jack called over his shoulder in a reassuring voice. “You know all of my crew, and you met Luke’s fiancée, Caroline, earlier today. Her Navy friends should have arrived by now and will be there, too. They’re really great women. You’ll like them.”
Good. Maybe the younger women would occupy Jack’s employees. She liked the men who captained his catamarans and dive boats for tourists, but they were several years younger than her with that SEAL mentality of being God’s gift to women. Fortunately, they treated her as though she were an older sister rather than a conquest for a one-nighter. But they did like to dance, so she might get onto the floor and move a little.
“You’ll get to meet my old boss.” Jack glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “He’s in town combining work and the wedding.” He glanced at Jillian with a warm smile. “Madman is performing the ceremony.”
Great. Another macho SEAL to deal with. But he had said old. And boss.
Jack veered right toward the Hotel Zone and club area of Cancun. “I owe that man my life. Madman personally dispatched Luke to pull my team out of a bad situation in—” He abruptly stopped. “It doesn’t matter where.”
Lilly understood. Her younger brother had been a Navy SEAL involved in missions all over the world that he could never talk about. Secretly, she was glad he was not in that line of work anymore. “Well, I’m thrilled he saved your sorry ass and got you home safely. I’ll thank him for that.”
Jack pulled into the employee parking lot near the back door of their cousin Kukulcan’s night club. As soon as Lilly’s sparkling, high-heeled sandals hit the pavement, she tugged the form-fitting dress down so it was barely above her knees. Jillian had dug the sleek sheath from the back of Lilly’s closet and declared it perfect. Yeah, it had been perfect twelve years ago when she was a wild college student, before she’d had a professional image to uphold, the title of mother to carry on a banner over stomach muscles that never quite returned to their original flat position, and the ever-so-daunting designation of wife of Chicago’s premier ortho surgeon.
“You look beautiful. Young and stunning.” Jack reassured her as he looped her arm through his on one side and tucked Jillian in on the other. “I swear you are getting younger since you dumped Dr. Dickhead. He was turning you into an old hag long before your time.”
Since his statement was true, Lilly said nothing in response.
The threesome strode into the dark, vibrating building. As though she absorbed confidence through Jack’s arm, with every step Lilly regained the self-assurance her ex had torn from her soul a scrap at a time. She felt beautiful, sexy, fully female, and comfortable in the familiar club.
She breathed in sweat and pheromones as they headed to the back corner where a table was always reserved for Jack. The woofers pulsed a fast beat, urging the filled dance floor to bounce with the rhythm. Lilly found her own heartbeat matching the tempo. A forgotten excitement flowed through her. The place oozed sex, and it enveloped her entire body.
It was Cancun. The area had always increased her desires to the point she’d made bad decisions. During a sunset walk on the beach while they were there celebrating her passing the Illinois bar ten years ago, she had accepted the marriage proposal of he-who-would-not-be-named-so-as-to-ruin-her-night. More recently, between this past Christmas and New Year’s, she’d had sex with the young and very handsome family doctor. Another huge mistake. It seemed he had forgotten to mention he was engaged until he’d introduced his very pregnant fiancée to Lilly at the Girard New Year’s Eve party.
But at least she had gotten that rebound sex out of the way. And it had been good sex. Until that night with Dr. Dickhead Number Two, Lilly had been too depressed to even think about intimacy for nearly a year. It hadn’t been all that important in her marriage either, especially during the last few years when nothing was good enough for him. She refused to go there ever again, least of all tonight.
The club filled every one of her senses with a long-dormant anticipation of fun. It was as though she’d stepped back in time twelve years and she was single again, confident in her unabashed sexuality.
Yeah. She could use a little sex. No strings attached orgasms with someone she’d never see again. She’d played that scene a few times while visiting her family’s Mexican compound during college. That seemed like ancient history. But that was still the mode of operation for her older brother, Levi, every time he came to Cancun. He’d find a willing woman, spend a few hours relieving the stress of his life and busy job, then walk away, unscathed. Could she do that?
No. She was now a responsible mother with two small boys at home who depended completely on her.
But she could have a few drinks, dance with some good-looking men, and let loose for a few hours.
She found her stride matching the beat, her hips swinging with I’m-ready-to-play moves. No. Sex wasn’t on the table of possibilities tonight. The Mayan tiger momma wasn’t back yet, but she’d left the den and was on the prowl for some fun.
****
Clubs like Mayan Nites hadn’t been Josh Madden’s scene in years. At forty-three, he preferred a good glass of scotch, an overstuffed recliner, and the latest suspense novel as evening entertainment—after watching Jeopardy, of course. Damn, didn’t that make him sound old? He’d been to hundreds of meat markets like this one all over the world, looking to lose himself in alcohol or a willing woman for a few hours.
There had been plenty of beautiful women on display as he’d returned from talking with his staff at the operations center at Homeland Security in D.C. His division had been tracking a group of human traffickers who reportedly had a team of terrorists moving through the underground system. This was the real reason for being in Cancun, but Jack’s upcoming wedding was a great cover. He could play tourist for a week and make contact with his local assets, maybe work in a few scuba dives and do a little deep sea fishing.
For the past four months, work had kept him on the road—more accurately in one of the bureau’s jets—or at the USSOCOM Ops Center, the heart of Special Operations Command. As the director of the Terrorist Unit within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it was his responsibility to prevent extremists from entering the United States. Fortunately, that last call had confirmed that the coyote he was tracking had locked down this latest group of men, women, and children for the night, so Josh could relax for a few hours.
He took a long pull on his beer then set it on the glossy black table. Settling back in the comfortable chair, Josh surveyed the crowded dance floor. Several of his former SEALs were dancing with the women pilots he’d just met. Nice kids. All of them. He understood why the SEALs had left the Navy for this life. No one shot at them. No one was trying to kill them with an IED or shoot down their helicopter with a surface to air missile minutes before they fast roped into another hell hole. They captained Jack’s boats during the day and partied their asses off all night. A great life...if you are in your twenties or even early thirties.
Josh suddenly felt like an old man at a bachelor party for his favorite nephew. And it wasn’t far from reality. Jack had always been special. He’d been an awesome SEAL, willing to take on anything and anyone.
Then his brother had been murdered.
Josh knew what that felt like, too.
Jack had resigned his commission and left the Navy to build a successful catamaran operation in the Caribbean. Josh was so proud of him. He looked forward to seeing Jack, who was expected at any minute, then spending time over the next several days with him and the men he’d once called his lieutenants.
In the meantime, Josh watched a group of young women who gyrated to the deafening beat a few feet from him. The bleach blonde kept glancing his way as she stretched her arms over her head and salaciously snaked her curvaceous body, turning to show him an impressive ass. Damn, he liked a nicely rounded butt on a woman as he drove into her from behind, his favorite position lately. He didn’t care to see the woman’s face or talk to her. It was just sex, and the women he took to bed knew it because he made it very clear before they got naked. He also made sure every woman had just as good a time as he did.
As she turned back toward him, sexy smile in place, his gaze lifted from her tempting hips to her breasts which were trying to leap over the top of her tight dress. Nice. He could handle those. But as his gaze traveled upward to her face, he pegged her in her early twenties. Probably still in college.
No way. Too young. She’d be looking for a sugar daddy, and he was nobody’s daddy...of any kind. He could easily have a daughter her age, though he’d never had children for a reason. The mere thought of fucking someone half his age was enough to make him lose the erection that had been taking an interest in the blonde. Approaching voices stole his attention.
Luke’s fiancée, Caroline, slid into the chair beside Josh as he wiped any ideas of sex off his mental slate. He’d enjoy talking with the young men and women at their table for a few hours then return to his hotel room, alone. That scotch sounded better and better.
With engrained habit, Josh visually swept the room for threats. His eye caught on movement as someone entered through the back door, not far from his current position. His whole body came alert to a possible intruder. The man’s swagger was one Josh knew well, so his demeanor eased.
He stood to shake hands with Jack who turned to the woman at his right side. “Lilly, I’d like you to meet Josh ‘Madman’ Madden, my former commanding officer. Josh, this is my sister Lilly.”
Now this was a woman. The slinky red dress screamed I’m gorgeous and not afraid to flaunt it but was demure enough to say treat me right because I’m a lady.
She extended her hand in a very professional manner, assessing him with dark brown eyes and a practiced smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Josh.”
Her warm, deep voice shot straight to his crotch. Jack’s sister was beautiful. She had an air of dignity without seeming haughty, which was reminiscent of most officers’ wives. He knew she was older than Jack, by several years he thought, and was an attorney for the family corporation. A knockout...and smart. The combination was enticing.
Josh took her hand and simply held it between both of his. “The pleasure is all mine, I assure you.” In his peripheral vision, he watched Jack and Jillian head to the dance floor. Luke and Caroline weren’t far behind, deep in conversation.
The music magically changed to a slow song as the four stepped into the crowd.
Keeping her hand in one of his, Josh pulled out a chair for Lilly and guided her to it. “What would you like to drink?”
“White wine.” She smiled over her shoulder as he watched her delicate hands smooth her dress over a great ass while she lowered herself into the seat. Class. Sophistication. She was the entire package.
He signaled to the waitress who was delivering a tray full of drinks to a nearby table. She nodded in promise to get to him quickly. Josh slid into his chair and leaned in so Lilly could hear him. “So, do you get some vacation time while you’re here for the wedding?”
“I wish. It’s both business and pleasure for me this week.” Lilly folded her hands sedately in her lap and crossed shapely long legs at the knee. The red dress slid up, revealing a toned thigh that Josh couldn’t help but notice was bare. Her smooth skin was a beautiful light brown tinged with gold.
“And you?” Lilly’s deep brown eyes appeared to read him like a mystery novel, assessing clues wherever she could find them.
“Me, too.” Josh furtively glanced at her left hand, noting her ring finger was slightly indented but absent of any gold or diamonds. “I’m officiating the wedding on Saturday. My plans are up in the air after that.” He wasn’t about to tell her recent intelligence indicated that members of a terrorist cell were on the move toward the U.S.A. via Cancun, and his job was to stop them.
“Cancun is a wonderful place to visit. Have you been here before?” Lilly’s voice was loud enough to be heard above the music but still conversational.
“No,” Josh lied easily. He’d honeymooned there twenty-one years ago, but hadn’t seen much beyond the inside of the room and the beach in front of the all-inclusive hotel. He didn’t think that counted. His marriage hadn’t.
Lilly’s smile reflected in her eyes. “Are you interested in Mayan history and culture, or into water sports?” As though she suddenly realized she’d asked an obvious question, she rolled her eyes. “Of course, you’re into diving. You were a SEAL, like Jack.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her insight. “Jack has invited me to go diving with him tomorrow afternoon. Will you be joining us?”
Her whole body shut down. “No. I don’t dive.” The staccato of her words hit Josh like bullets to the chest. He loved the underwater world. Her eyes glazed over, and she looked away from him, toward the dancers, but he was sure that wasn’t what she was seeing. Had she just shut him out?
Their server arrived, and Josh surveyed the table of warming beers and frozen drinks that had melted into weak pastels. “I think we need a fresh set, and put it on my tab, please.”
“And for the lady?” She tilted her head to Lilly who was oblivious to their conversation.
The waitress had that right, Lilly was a lady.
“White wine, please.” Good thing Josh had asked earlier because the woman beside him was completely unaware of his conversation.
“Will that be Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Riesling?”
Hell. He had no idea. He paused before disturbing her with a light hand on her soft shoulder. “Lilly.”
When she turned her head, her eyes widened as though she was surprised he was there. He nodded to the young woman, whose small tablet cast a glow of light onto her smiling face. The perky waitress repeated her choices, and Lilly ordered Riesling.
As though she hadn’t zoned out on him moments ago, Lilly smiled at Josh. “Jack said you were his commanding officer. Are you still in charge of the SEALs in Norfolk?”
“No. I retired from the Navy last year.” Thank goodness she was talking with him again.
Her perfectly arched brows flew up and slightly pointed jaw dropped, emphasizing her heart-shaped face.
Yeah. He knew he didn’t look like a senior citizen. He was decades away from a social security check. The gray that seemed to be overtaking his dark brown hair at the temples told another story, but he’d maintained his rigorous workout schedule, even after his retirement ceremony at Little Creek, Virginia a year ago.
“So, how are you enjoying retired life?” Her nut brown eyes reflected her interest. At least in his answer, if not in him.
He grinned. “I may have retired from the Navy, but I still work for the government.”
“Oh, what do you do now?” Her straight white teeth shone in the darkness of the club. The light from the table candle accented her high cheekbones and gave her black hair a sheen of gold.
“Same kind of thing, except I now work for Homeland Security.” Josh rarely talked about his work. He’d never been able to, due to operational security. Not much had changed except the clothes. He’d gone from wearing a naval uniform surrounded by highly trained seamen to suits and ties surrounded by highly trained former military from every branch of service.
“Do you like living in Washington, D.C.?” Her question was simple, straightforward even, but it gave Josh pause. She was interrogating him...with ease. And he was giving her personal information that could be used against him or his team.
He swept the club with his gaze. Doors secure. Check. Dark corners clear. Check, except for the young couple groping each other on the south side. Not a threat. His men on the dancefloor with the female pilots. Check. His men. No they weren’t his any longer. They were civilians having a good time. This wasn’t work, it was supposed to be fun.
His gaze returned to the striking woman beside him. She was no risk. What the fuck was he thinking? This was Jack’s sister, and she was simply making small talk. Typical first date questions. Not everyone was a terrorist or a spy.
Certainly not Lilly Girard. But she had definitely caught his interest.
Josh’s cell phone vibrated. Had the situation changed? Was the coyote moving the people tonight?
He looked at the caller ID and sighed. “I’m sorry, Lilly. I have to take this.” He swiped his thumb across the screen.
She gave him an understanding but small smile. “Sure.”
“Are the kids okay?” He glanced around the club as he stood, listening intently. “Hang on. Honey, it’s too noisy in here to talk.”