Her Daring SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 5) Read online

  She leaned over and gave him a hug.

  “What was his name?

  “Leif Heinrickson.”

  “I hope to meet him one day, and thank him.” Darius thought about his friend and winced. He knew it might be awhile before Leif would be ready for that ‘thank you.'

  “Are you ready to tell me your story?”

  Rylie nodded, then shook her head.

  “Rylie?”

  “Can I just tell you about Roger?” She asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

  Darius remembered how the house she had lived in with her foster parents had ended up burning down, and she had supposedly died when she was seventeen. When she had been in Houston with him and his team, she lashed out at Drake and had made reference to her foster father coming into her room at night. He knew her ‘ugly’ was going to be bad. If she wanted to put off the story, he couldn’t blame her.

  “Honey, you tell your story, at your pace.”

  “Well, there was this nice man named Roger. I’m sure you’d like him,” she started with a peppy smile.

  “Okay, let me stop you there.”

  “What?”

  “You don’t have to tell me the ugly. You don’t have to tell me all the gory details, but no more bullshit, okay? Do you really think I’d like this guy, Rylie?” He paused. “Really?”

  She ducked her head and said quietly. “No.”

  “Then can you just tell me the way it really was? You started by saying you were messed up when you got involved with him. So how was it with the two of you?”

  “I was nineteen, and he was forty-two.”

  “Jesus!”

  “He was a nice guy.”

  “Bullshit, he was a predator.”

  “No, he wasn’t. He was one of my professors at the community college. He might have come on to me a little bit, but I was more than willing. Look, there’s lots of reasons that I’m not going in to right now. But I was fucked in the head about men, especially older men. I figured it would be good for me to jump into the deep end. When Roger showed an interest in me, I figured it would be perfect for me to have an affair with him. It wasn’t like it was a love match or anything.”

  Darius’ head hurt.

  “He was really nice.” She looked out the balcony window, and he stared at her profile. She looked pensive, so he stroked her jaw.

  “What, Rylie?” he asked softly.

  “He was really nice, kind of. It was confusing. It was like he was nice only in certain ways, on the surface. The kids said he was creepy.”

  “Sawyer and Charlotte?”

  “Yeah. I should never have let him become involved with my family. I should have kept him separate. But we were together for a year. Even though it was just an affair, he tried to make it more kind of. It was weird. I still don’t quite understand it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He always said he wanted nothing serious. I was just trying to practice, so I thought it was perfect. But then he started to act really weird. He tried to tell me how to act. How to dress, who I could talk to. He once saw me studying with one of my classmates in the library and went ballistic. It was so weird. I had to quit that college to get away from him.”

  “Couldn’t you have reported him?”

  “I didn’t want him to get in trouble. It was my fault. I came onto him to begin with.” Of course, she would think that. “But the good news was that I definitely got over my phobia about having sex with older men. And bonus, I got good at sex, even though I don’t like it.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Darius’ eyes darted towards the champagne bottle. He might just have to start seriously drinking again.

  “I don’t like sex, but it doesn’t scare me. But Roger loved having sex with me, and he told me all the time how good I was at it. Especially blow jobs. So would you like to have sex now?” Darius clenched his fist so he wouldn’t reach for the bottle.

  “Ow.” He looked down and saw that he had tightened his hand on her foot.

  “Sorry.”

  “Are you all right?” Rylie asked.

  “Not really. Can we dial this back just a little?”

  “Dare, we need to be comfortable with one another. When we get to the island, we’re going to be under a microscope. It’s going to be patently obvious that we’re not acting like lovers if we don’t start practicing tonight.”

  Darius winced at the word ‘practicing.’

  “Rylie, how about we talk and cuddle a little bit and see where that takes us?” Had that really just come out of his mouth?

  “Did you really suggest we cuddle instead of fuck?”

  “Did you really just say fuck?” Again Rylie ducked her head.

  “Well, what would you call it?”

  “Not fucking,” he exclaimed. “Rylie, I met you six months ago, and I haven’t slept with anyone since. There’s something between us I want to explore.”

  “Nobody?”

  “Nobody.” He smiled at her glowing face.

  “I’ve been thinking about you too. But I’m not sure what to do.”

  “How about instead of showing me your references, you let me just kiss you a little bit? I’ve been dying to kiss you.”

  “Me too.”

  “You’ve wanted to kiss yourself?” he teased.

  “You’re an ass.”

  “It comes with being a male, I told you. Now do I get my kiss?” She bit her lip. He was beginning to think it was her unconscious signal, and it certainly got his motor running. He cupped her face. He used his thumb to tenderly extricate her bottom lip from her teeth and then layered a soft kiss on her incredibly beautiful pink lips. Her sigh made his gut clench.

  For long moments, he caressed and licked and seduced, and she followed his lead finally clutching his shoulders and pressing closer. When he lifted his head, her blue eyes were dark with passion.

  “You kiss good,” she said, her voice was thick.

  “You kiss gooder.” She giggled.

  “Again,” she demanded. He moved her so instead of having her knees draped over his legs, he arranged for her bottom to be resting on his lap. He hissed in pleasure at the feel of her nestled on top of his erect flesh. She flashed a concerned look up at him.

  “Only kisses, baby.”

  “But–”

  “I refuse to rush things.” She’d been pressured enough in this life. He refused to be one more man who pushed her for things she wasn’t ready for.

  “But won’t they know if we haven’t been...you know.”

  “Let’s remember, you put on that Sylvia bitch persona and all bets are off. Second, you’ll respond to my touch beautifully tomorrow.” He watched her consider his words, and she nodded.

  “Do I get another kiss?” he asked.

  “Oh yes.

  This time, he gathered her into his arms, thanking God for the thickness of the hotel terrycloth robe. If it had been thinner, he would never have survived. Before he went in for another kiss, he slid his fingers into the thickness of her silver blonde hair and nuzzled her neck. Breathing in the scent of Rylie was like taking a deep breath on the first day of spring, it was rejuvenating.

  He laid a kiss behind her ear, loving how she whimpered and whispered his name. He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue, and she sighed. Then he took a tender bite against her neck and she cried out.

  “Kiss me.”

  “With pleasure.”

  Their lips met, and the world spun. She gripped his head and made her claim. She wasn’t trying to please him. She was demanding she be pleased. Coming from Rylie, it meant everything to Darius. They clung to each other, lost in a world of need. It was when Darius found his hands starting to creep under the collar of the bathrobe he realized they had a problem. He looked down at the flushed, beautiful and willing woman in his arms and cursed himself.

  “Rylie.”

  “Rylie?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “It’s bedtime.”

  “Ye
s it is,” she purred. She shrugged her right shoulder, and the robe started to drift downwards. Darius caught it, pulled it up, then grasped both lapels and closed them tightly around her neck.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m stopping this while I still can.”

  “But I want more. I really liked what we were doing, Dare.”

  “So did I, baby, so did I.”

  “So let’s do more.”

  “It’s still too soon.”

  Her lambent blue eyes stared into his. “I think you might be right. You don’t know my ugly.”

  “Honey, there is not one damn thing that’s ugly about you. Not on the outside, and not on the inside. I don’t give a shit what happened in your past. But I think you’d feel better if we took a little more time, wouldn’t you?” Again, she ducked her head, and then she looked back up at him.

  “Yes,” she admitted quietly.

  “Some of my references would tell you I like to give them what they want. So, we’re going to take this slower.” A slow smile crossed her face.

  “Thank you, Dare.”

  “You’re welcome, baby. Plus, I get the added benefit of having you sleep in my arms tonight, so it’s a win-win for me.”

  Her smile got bigger. “I think I’m going to like that.”

  Having her sleep in his arms was going to be heaven and hell. He wasn’t going to get a wink of sleep.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning, Darius heard the faint sound of a seaplane as they made their way to the front door of the stunning house. It explained everything as far as he was concerned. He looked at Rylie and saw she hadn’t heard it. Brandon hadn’t reacted either, but Albert flinched and looked at them.

  “Your home is spectacular. I’m sure I’ve seen this sort of design before.”

  “It’s a Hong Kong architect, he’s designed all over the world, but he has done some homes and two hotels in Southern California,” Albert explained.

  “That must be it.” As they crossed the threshold, Darius gave an inward laugh. Growing up as a poor foster kid, he couldn’t have even dreamed of something this swanky.

  “This is lovely, Albert. Can you show us to our rooms? What time is lunch served?” Rylie sounded bored. Looking at her in her designer clothes, with her hair and makeup flawlessly done, she didn’t look at all like the woman who had slept in his shirt last night.

  He didn’t like Sylvia Hessman at all.

  “I should have thought of that, my dear. It was a long boat ride. Brandon can show you to your suite. It’s overlooking the water.”

  “Albert, I want to be a gracious guest,” Rylie started. “As I said, your home is lovely, and I expect we would find the suite you have provided to be adequate as well.”

  Albert’s lips pursed. He wasn’t used to anyone using the term adequate when describing his multi-million-dollar home. “What is it you are getting at, Sylvia?” he asked.

  “Why doesn’t Brandon show Dare the view from one of the decks, and you and I speak privately?”

  “Let’s not. I think if you have something to say about where we’re staying tonight, I want to hear, Sylvia,” Darius interjected.

  Rylie looked him up and down and frowned. Then she turned to their host. “Albert, I know sometimes you like to keep tabs on your guests. You have done so in the past with other people you have worked with and those rumors have gotten back to me.” Darius was impressed with how Rylie phrased things.

  Albert shrugged, and spread out his hands. “That only happened once, and it is a thing of the past.”

  “That is very good to hear. I brought an EMF detector with me as a precaution. I wanted to be upfront with you, prior to Brandon escorting Dare and me to our rooms. I would hate for there to be any sort of falling out when our business association is going so well.”

  “As I said, it was a special set of circumstances that if I were to explain, you would certainly understand. I welcome you to use your device to check your accommodations. You won’t find anything amiss.”

  “I appreciate it. I should have known the rumor had been blown out of proportion.” Rylie shifted the strap of her laptop bag on her shoulder.

  “Can I take that for you, honey?” Darius asked.

  She shot him a dark look. “You know this stays with me, Dare.”

  Albert chuckled. “Our significant others need to be treated with kid gloves sometimes, don’t they, Dare?”

  “Sometimes,” Darius agreed.

  “Brandon, my love, can you please talk to Carver and make sure that the suite is ready for our guests and then show them to their room?” Albert stroked Brandon’s shoulder, giving him a significant look.

  “Certainly.” Brandon smiled, then he left the large living room.

  “This island is absolutely beautiful, are there any other buildings besides your house on it?”

  “No, just the house. Well, the garage and a couple of sheds,” Albert qualified. “But that’s just surrounding this property.”

  “So nothing anywhere else on the island?” Darius continued to probe.

  “No,” Albert responded with a puzzled look. “Why do you ask?”

  “I would think you could build a hotel or something on the other side and make the island pay for itself.”

  “Oh no, I value my privacy too much. Anyway, the only harbor is the one out front. There really isn’t a way to the back of the island.”

  What a load of horseshit, Darius thought. There had been a seaplane landing a half hour ago. He’d have to ask Rylie about it. Albert must be keeping some of the women here on the island.

  “Sylvia, can I get you some mineral water while Brandon is checking on your rooms? I believe you like Perrier?”

  Rylie flicked her wrist, the diamonds on the charm bracelet flashing in the sunlit room. “Actually, it’s Pellegrino, but Perrier will do.” A quick second of annoyance flashed on Albert’s face, then was gone.

  “Anything else?”

  “A twist of lime,” she requested.

  “Of course,” he said tightly.

  She gave a perfunctory smile to the maid who rolled a cart in with beverages. Albert handed Rylie a tall glass of sparkling water.

  “For you?” he asked Darius.

  “I’ll have the same thing as Sylvia.” He was much nicer, which wasn’t hard. Rylie sure could act the spoiled socialite part. It was truly scary.

  “Ah Brandon, just in time, here is your drink,” he said handing the man a glass of mineral water.

  “Perrier?” Brandon questioned petulantly.

  “There’ll be wine with dinner,” Albert assured his lover. Ah, there was the rub. The older man was monitoring Brandon’s alcohol intake. “And beer for you, of course, Dare.” Albert smiled at him.

  “Are our rooms ready?” Rylie’s tone was impatient.

  “Yes,” Brandon answered. “Do you want to follow me?”

  “Please,” she nodded her head regally. Darius placed his hand on the small of her back, relishing the ability to touch her. He liked to think he felt her breathe easier. He was never sure of her reactions when she was in queen bitch mode.

  Darius couldn’t believe the luxury of the room. He hadn’t seen anything like it outside of a magazine.

  “Thank you, Brandon, it’s nice. Do you want to stay while I go over it to make sure it is satisfactory?” The man looked confused for a moment, then he gave a wry grin.

  “Knock yourself out. It’s clean, there’s not a bug in sight. I’m outta here. I’m going to rustle something up besides water.” Darius walked over to the suitcases on the benches.

  “Which one?” he asked.

  She pointed at the smaller one, and he picked it up and put it on the bed, and unzipped it.

  “I like how you pack. No throw and go, it’s very neat and tidy.” She gave him a look that could kill. He held up his hands and grinned. He knew what he had said was totally in character. She needed to relax. She pulled out the EMF detector, as well as a s
mall little device.

  “How about I take the high spots, and you take the low spots.”

  Are you calling me short? She mouthed.

  And there she was, his Rylie. He grinned. He’d missed her.

  “Let’s get started.” It took them almost an hour to determine the bedroom, living room, and bathroom were free from any kind of surveillance.

  “Still doesn’t mean they don’t have listening and surveillance from outside,” Darius said. “Those things are amazing.”

  “Yes, they are. So is this.” Rylie went back to her suitcase and pulled out a curler set. She unscrewed the bottom, and out fell an audio jammer.

  “Geez, and I offered to give you a loan. That costs as much as my first car.” Rylie gave him a scathing look and then checked the batteries and turned it on.

  “For fuck’s sake, would you wait until everything is in place before you open your mouth? Now, if they are trying to listen in, all they’ll here is white noise. You could have signed it to me.”

  Darius ran his fingers through his hair and then caught her up in a hug. “I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right, I fucked up.”

  Rylie stared up at him. She stayed silent and continued to look at him.

  “What? Say something. How long are you going to stay mad?”

  “No, I’m enjoying this moment too much. You’re the only man I’ve met, who admits he’s screwed up so easily. Well besides Sawyer, but he’s not a man yet.”

  “Honey, of course, I’m going to admit when I fuck up. We’re a team. I respect you.” He pulled out his cell phone. “Now we’re in the clear, I’ve got to check in with Clint.”

  Clint immediately came on the line and asked a question. “So you’re on the island. How is it?”

  “Beautiful. Isolated. I think the women are being held here.” Rylie’s head jerked up.

  “What makes you think that?” Clint asked.

  “I heard a seaplane making a descent on the other side of the island, even though Liu categorically denied there was any sort of structure over there. My guess is he has the women there.” Rylie shook her head violently.

  “Hold on, Rylie wants to talk.” He put the phone on speaker.

  “There are seventeen women. He had them in Vancouver a few days ago. He wouldn’t have brought them here when the auction is going to be over on the mainland, it doesn’t make sense.”