SEALs of Summer 2: A Military Romance Superbundle by Lynn Raye Harris, Elle Kennedy, Anne Marsh, Delilah Devlin, Sharon Hamilton, Jennifer Lowery, Cora Seton, Elle James, S.M. Butler, Zoe York, Kimberley Troutte Page A
Authors: Lynn Raye Harris, Elle Kennedy, Anne Marsh, Delilah Devlin, Sharon Hamilton, Jennifer Lowery, Cora Seton, Elle James, S.M. Butler, Zoe York, Kimberley Troutte
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Vince stretched out on the grass and stared up at the late afternoon sky. “Why did Rik set up camp here?”
She sat down, not too far from him, but not in reaching distance—so yeah, too far. “Calli’s from Miami. I think they fell in love here.”
Easy to do . “And when you get a mission?”
“We usually go to Miami and fly out of there. Sometimes Grand Bahama. You know what it’s like. There’s prep time and planning. That happens while we’re in transit. He also has property in the States and in Europe. We set up a command post wherever makes most sense.”
“And he’s really only doing one mission every month or two?”
“He’s retired. It’s legit. He only gets involved in a case if he’s compelled. For the most part, he’s done with the shenanigans of the world.”
“But he can afford to pay us.”
She looked at him sharply. “Yes.”
“It’s…” He took a deep breath. “I’ve got responsibilities now.”
He was used to her narrowing her eyes at him. Them flaring wide…that was new. “Like what?”
“Just family stuff.”
“Vince Nash, do you have a kid? Because I swear, that’s the kind of secret one does not keep from a woman when you’re sleeping with her.” She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. “Although if you have a kid, that’s… Kids are cool. Your kid especially. I’m going to shut up now.”
He scrambled to his knees, shaking his head. “No, no kid. Jesus, no. I wouldn’t keep something like that from you.”
“What kind of family responsibility?”
Sinking back on his heels, he shrugged helplessly. “My dad passed away a few years ago, and my mom hung in there. But my grandfather died earlier this year, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s, and that just broke her. Both her and my grandmother. They’re managing the truck stop on a day to day basis, they have a decent manager, too, but someone needs to care about the big picture, and that’s not either of them anymore. They were late on their quarterly taxes twice, and shit like that. So I gotta be there more. I came home from Iraq for my grandfather’s funeral, and getting the office straightened out there was a shit-show. Plus I’m not really a business guy. But with the economy the way it is, it’s not like we can sell the business, either. So…”
As he spilled his guts to her, her face softened, and when he finished, she was kneeling right in front of him, holding one of his hands. “Wow. Vince, that sucks.” She gave him a hug, a soft press of her curves against his constantly-held-under-tension body, and he let himself lean into her. “I’m so sorry about your dad. He was a lovely man.”
“He liked you, too.”
“The hussy you brought home? They wouldn’t even let us sleep in the same room!”
“I think it would be the same rule now, though. My mother glories in her old-school Cuban rules.” He wouldn’t know what her current stance, was, though. Larken was the only woman he’d ever brought home.
“So that’s…” she pulled back just a bit and frowned at him. “So that’s your plan? You’re going to live in tiny little Bolton most of the time, and join us on missions?”
“Not all the time.” So what if his skin crawled at the idea? “Just be there enough to make sure stuff is sorted out.”
Hopefully the routine would be Camo Cay—and Larken—most of the time, and home once or twice a month. Short visits.
“And are you going to find a sweet little Georgia girl to marry? Carry on the family business, make you cookies, and have cute little half-Cuban babies?” Larken shoved to her feet.
“Did you just take offense to something imaginary happening in your head?” he yelled at her as she stalked off.
“Nope,” she shot over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Come on. We have more team-building exercises to do.”
Jogging after her, he gave her enough space to realize she was being snippy. He replayed the conversation
Vince stretched out on the grass and stared up at the late afternoon sky. “Why did Rik set up camp here?”
She sat down, not too far from him, but not in reaching distance—so yeah, too far. “Calli’s from Miami. I think they fell in love here.”
Easy to do . “And when you get a mission?”
“We usually go to Miami and fly out of there. Sometimes Grand Bahama. You know what it’s like. There’s prep time and planning. That happens while we’re in transit. He also has property in the States and in Europe. We set up a command post wherever makes most sense.”
“And he’s really only doing one mission every month or two?”
“He’s retired. It’s legit. He only gets involved in a case if he’s compelled. For the most part, he’s done with the shenanigans of the world.”
“But he can afford to pay us.”
She looked at him sharply. “Yes.”
“It’s…” He took a deep breath. “I’ve got responsibilities now.”
He was used to her narrowing her eyes at him. Them flaring wide…that was new. “Like what?”
“Just family stuff.”
“Vince Nash, do you have a kid? Because I swear, that’s the kind of secret one does not keep from a woman when you’re sleeping with her.” She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. “Although if you have a kid, that’s… Kids are cool. Your kid especially. I’m going to shut up now.”
He scrambled to his knees, shaking his head. “No, no kid. Jesus, no. I wouldn’t keep something like that from you.”
“What kind of family responsibility?”
Sinking back on his heels, he shrugged helplessly. “My dad passed away a few years ago, and my mom hung in there. But my grandfather died earlier this year, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s, and that just broke her. Both her and my grandmother. They’re managing the truck stop on a day to day basis, they have a decent manager, too, but someone needs to care about the big picture, and that’s not either of them anymore. They were late on their quarterly taxes twice, and shit like that. So I gotta be there more. I came home from Iraq for my grandfather’s funeral, and getting the office straightened out there was a shit-show. Plus I’m not really a business guy. But with the economy the way it is, it’s not like we can sell the business, either. So…”
As he spilled his guts to her, her face softened, and when he finished, she was kneeling right in front of him, holding one of his hands. “Wow. Vince, that sucks.” She gave him a hug, a soft press of her curves against his constantly-held-under-tension body, and he let himself lean into her. “I’m so sorry about your dad. He was a lovely man.”
“He liked you, too.”
“The hussy you brought home? They wouldn’t even let us sleep in the same room!”
“I think it would be the same rule now, though. My mother glories in her old-school Cuban rules.” He wouldn’t know what her current stance, was, though. Larken was the only woman he’d ever brought home.
“So that’s…” she pulled back just a bit and frowned at him. “So that’s your plan? You’re going to live in tiny little Bolton most of the time, and join us on missions?”
“Not all the time.” So what if his skin crawled at the idea? “Just be there enough to make sure stuff is sorted out.”
Hopefully the routine would be Camo Cay—and Larken—most of the time, and home once or twice a month. Short visits.
“And are you going to find a sweet little Georgia girl to marry? Carry on the family business, make you cookies, and have cute little half-Cuban babies?” Larken shoved to her feet.
“Did you just take offense to something imaginary happening in your head?” he yelled at her as she stalked off.
“Nope,” she shot over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Come on. We have more team-building exercises to do.”
Jogging after her, he gave her enough space to realize she was being snippy. He replayed the conversation
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