Warrior Mine: A Base Branch novel Read online

  “I was too far away.” He laughed even though tears brimmed his eyes. “I was being stupid, holding fruit up to my chest and making boobs. The baby changed her body. Made her frame luscious and me ridiculously horny. Dumb.”

  “Not dumb. Happy and in love,” she corrected.

  “They opened up on her. She didn’t see it coming. I didn’t either. I should have been watching.” A growl rumbled deep in his chest. His head shook. The muscles in his jaw threatened to snap from the tension. He broke. His face buried beneath her chin.

  Carmen cradled his head and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “Shhh, mi valiant hombre,” she whispered, though he made not another sound. He raged, while her quiet tears soaked his hair.

  She envisioned him, happy and vital, enjoying his wife in the brilliant light of day. Then the spray of bullets slicing through his world. No doubt he got his scars running full tilt toward his Ellie, not ducking for cover or waiting to find a tactical angle of attack. And God, their baby… Her mind walled the image and for that she was ever grateful.

  He burrowed lower, pressing his weight against her chest. His arms twined round her middle and he held her back as she rocked him, nice and easy. After only a few seconds, he shifted lower. The heat of his tongue licked her nipple before latching on and suckling. A gasp flew from her lips.

  The desperation of grief. The finality of death. It drove people toward their own death or life. Vail chose to live in this moment. Here. With her.

  When he rolled her onto her back and moved between her legs she didn’t deny him. Without finesse or preamble he shoved to the root. His mouth covered her moan and melded it with one of his own.

  He lifted her off the bed. Her arms and legs tightened around him, and their mouths acted out the torment they could not voice. Knees spread wide, he balanced their combined weight. His grip sank into the rounds of her ass. His hips retracted as he lifted, and their bodies separated for the briefest of seconds before he hammered them together.

  The force slammed her clitoris onto the slight bulge of his lower abdomen. Her left hand gripped the whittled groove of his lat for leverage. She flared her pelvis, taking him deeper. That exquisite V of primal manliness and the dynamic aim of his cock catapulted her into orbit too soon.

  Her breaths huffed hot and wet against his mouth. In a frantic effort to keep quiet, she viced her lip between her teeth. This was his deliverance. She’d be damned if she’d break his center.

  A gap formed between them and her gaze flew to his. The intensity of his animalistic expression bowled her over. “You’re strangling my dick, honey. You’re coming. Let me hear it.”

  “Ahhh.” The sweet relief of freedom reinvigorated her fulfillment. “Ah, Vail.”

  “Yes, fucking, yes. I’m here. I’m with you, Carmen. I’m pumping into you. And you’re strangling me.” His biceps bunched and his neck strained. “Oh, Go…” Climax seized him. Everything inside her tightened. She was trapped in the grip of a mighty warrior and she never wanted to be released.

  30

  Vail blinked into view the horrendous hunter-green sheet blocking half of his line of sight. It took a while. The sun streamed through the window, nearly blinding him. He flicked the fabric plagued with intersecting cream and red lines from his face. Stretching his arms straight over his head, he met the headboard and shoved. His muscles filled with the heavy syrup of a good night’s sleep and a momentary shot of adrenaline that came with the short fit of exertion.

  On a deep inhale he caught her scent and the fog of lethargy faded. His dick didn’t need the jolt of sweaty women, a hint of flowers, and musky sex to get him going. The guy was fully erect and ready to go. Who could blame him?

  He smiled and rolled over to an empty bed. And room.

  Damn.

  He’d come inside her for the second time, and then promptly smothered her with his weight and fallen into the most contented sleep he’d had in what seemed like decades. The bed creaked as he sat and listened for the slightest hint of sound. When he heard none his heart stuttered. He bound from the bed, to the door, cupped his sticky junk, and peeked out the door. Down the hallway Carmen’s bedroom door stood open, but Sophie’s remained closed. A breath rounded his cheeks and he blew it out.

  Maybe she was just really quiet downstairs. The need to know for sure ate at him, but no way could he streak through the house to check, which was exactly what he wanted to do. Resigned, he retreated, pulled his last pair of clothes from his pack, and then darted for the bathroom, strategically covering himself just in case.

  Water splashed and soap flung like he was in the pit of hell week with ten minutes to eat, clean, and nap. He dressed accordingly before skidding down the steps. His boots caught rubber with his sudden stop. Carmen snapped a hip to one side and propped a hand and the spatula in it on her hip.

  “In a rush to get somewhere?” She batted lashes strong enough to blow him over.

  He sagged and lifted all at once, alleviation mingling with delight. Three large steps brought them toe-to-toe. “Yep, right here.” He placed small kisses on her damp forehead and down the bridge of her nose. His tongue smoothed over his lips. “Salty.”

  “Gross,” she giggled. “I went for a run.”

  “To clear your head?”

  “No, to keep from getting caught in your bed.”

  “That is too bad,” he groaned. “How’s Sophie?”

  “Sleeping like the dead.” She shook the cooking utensil. “But I checked. She’s breathing just fine and doesn’t have a fever.”

  “How are you?” he asked, tugging her closer.

  Her teeth nipped his chest. “Hungry in every way.”

  “If you’d stayed, I’d have brought you breakfast in bed—and then eaten you.”

  “You’re cruel.” She whimpered against his shirt.

  “I think you’re the cruel one.” Using both hands, he cupped her curvy butt over her thin, black workout pants, lifted, and ground her over his rigid length. “God, Carmen! Look at your nipples. You’re ready for me. Wet and needy. Bet I could get you off in less than sixty seconds.”

  “I bet you could too, but I can’t,” she said with a gentle push. “What kind of role model would I be for Sophia?” Begrudgingly, he let her move back one step, but kept his hands at her waist. “We only just met, for goodness’ sake.”

  “I agree.” He sucked air between his teeth. “Doesn’t mean I like it though.”

  Her chin levered back, providing the first good angle for their lips to meet. He took it, swooping in before she had a chance to speak. His hands coasted up and framed her face while he teased her mouth.

  “Way to go, Mom,” Sophie said from somewhere behind them.

  He broke the kiss. The stunned look of a thief trapped in a safe contorted Carmen’s pretty face. He soothed a thumb over her red lips and turned. “How you feelin’, kiddo?”

  “Awesome.” A smile lit her entire demeanor. She stood just a bit taller than she had the day before. Devilish satisfaction lightened the way-too-intense burdens on her shoulders.

  Sophie’s eyes darted between him and her mother as she skipped lightly to the table. “So, Ma, what’s for breakfast?”

  Vail watched her calculating their relationship while she perched her intelligent head on her palm. That girl, he loved her from the tips of her silly shoes to the tip of her nose. His hand clamped over his mouth to keep the realization locked away. Talk about moving fast. He could blame it on the euphoric high from last night, but it would be a lie. He’d been falling in love with that little girl since she dressed him down with smart questions and deciphered a scary situation with sharp wit instead of fear. And her world-lighting grins didn’t do much to slow the progress of emotions.

  Plans changed in his mind, adjusting to the new course he’d set for himself. And Carmen and Sophie. He turned to the swaying hips at the counter. “So, what’s for breakfast?”

  Carmen’s ponytail swooshed and she met his gaze with her narrowe
d one that jumped between him and Sophie. “You go sit over there and hold onto your patience. I was going to cook gorditas de huevos, but we don’t have chilies or tortillas.” She grabbed two apples from the counter and tossed them to him. “Will you cut these, please? The spinach eggs will be ready in a few minutes.”

  He stepped closer. She stepped back, meeting the stove with her bottom. “Stand still,” he whispered. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

  Her smile worked on his already sensitive heart. He leaned around her, letting his arm brush hers as he retrieved a knife and plate. Before withdrawing, his lips brushed her cheek. He retreated to the table and pulled out the chair next to the red-cheeked little girl.

  “You have mischief written all over your face.” He lopped off a piece of apple and handed it over. “Shove this in your mouth so you don’t get either of us into trouble.”

  She plucked the fruit from his hand, pursed her lips at him, and gave a slight headshake for good measure. The apple crunched between her teeth. “So, what are we doing today?”

  “Not fishing,” he answered before the words were good and out of her full gnashing mouth. Carmen turned to say something similar, surely. Instead, she nodded in approval, and then turned back around.

  He winked at Sophie and jutted his chin toward Carmen. “I was thinking, since the ice was pretty thick, we could sled the lake. You know, face your fears and all that.”

  Sophie covered her mouth and winced, while Carmen snapped around so quickly her ponytail slapped her in the face. His shoulder shook so hard he had to drop the knife for fear of stabbing himself. Then he looked at the woman feigning indignation and slid the knife to the other side of the plate.

  They erupted in fits of side-cramping laughter.

  When it died down, Sophie asked, “So, seriously, what are we going to do today?”

  Vail cleared his throat and steeled his heart. “I need to go to DC to take care of some things—”

  “Carlos?” Carmen asked.

  “Yes, and I want you two to come with me.”

  31

  Sophie seriously wished her mom would relax and enjoy the road trip. The woman fidgeted as though she’d contracted OCD and a sudden drug dependency. The only time she stilled was when Vail held her hand, but then her eyes got whiplash jerking between her hand and Sophie’s camp in the minuscule backseat. Sophie beamed brightly in an attempt to soothe her mom, but it only seemed to fluster her more.

  The sparkle of big city lights pulled Sophie’s attention out of the car once more. Spires and monuments cluttered the night sky. Cars dashed by, or rather they zipped past the other cars. Soon they veered off the interstate. A momentum pulling her just a little closer to the view. Her exhales lightly hazed the window. Unlike the jam-packed downtown, the buildings were spaced farther apart, but it didn’t detract from their significance. Artful gardens and sprawling green lawns accentuated their formidable heights.

  They passed several construction sites dotted with forklifts and large trucks masked in thick layers of dust. The cars slowed as they neared a fancy building with a surprisingly amicable mix of old world brick and modern glass architecture. She read Capital Hill Tower as they rolled past the front. They turned into the structure’s parking garage and parked next to a real-life monster truck.

  Sophie hurried out of the car, ignoring her mother’s alert, I’m-ready-for-battle stance and shifting gaze. The driver’s side window came to eye level and she jumped to peek inside. Clean, dark-tan leather covered the seat and steering wheel. It complemented the slick, orangy-red paint on the exterior perfectly. She ran to her mom, threw her arms around her waist, and rested her ear on her back. The move tossed her mom and her surveillance off balance.

  “I love you so much.” Sophie grinned.

  Mom dragged Sophie around to her front. The quirk in her brow said she knew something was up. “What do you want now?”

  “That truck! It’s awesome. Think about it this way, someone could hit me and I wouldn’t even notice,” she reasoned.

  “Yeah, you wouldn’t notice when you plowed over a car either.” She peeled Sophie’s arms from around her middle. “Come back when all you want is a hug. Now, let’s get the bags.”

  Vail closed the trunk with one bag over his shoulder and two, theirs, in his hand. “Bags are gotten. And Sophie, maybe after work tomorrow I’ll teach you how to drive it.” He jut his chin in the direction of the massive truck.

  “What! That’s your truck?” She bounced on tiptoes, fists above her bent elbows, conservatively victorious.

  Mom must have given him a look. He shrugged. “What? How not to run over cars will be first on the tap.”

  “She’s twelve,” Mom reminded.

  His nose wrinkled like he smelled something rotten. Sophie’s did the same. “Ah, maybe just a ride tomorrow?” He added with a whisper, “There’s a bit of country not too far away where you can test her out.” They fell into step together, headed for a bank of elevators. “What?” he asked again, this time with his free hand. “She can’t bother anything out there. Anyway, how old were you when you first got behind the wheel?”

  “Twenty,” Mom said.

  “No way,” she and Vail said in unison as they all stepped onto the arrived car.

  “Growing up, I had drivers.” Her mom frowned.

  “Why didn’t we have drivers?” Sophie asked.

  “I wanted to be able to go where and when I wanted. As much as I could,” she admitted.

  The doors opened and they exited into a neat hallway. Vail turned right, tugging Mom along by the hand. They walked and walked to the end of the corridor, and then waited for him to punch a whole lot of numbers on a keypad before unlocking the door and ushering them inside.

  “Swank.” She hurried through the foyer and into the kitchen, impressed by the walls of floor-to ceiling-windows overlooking the city. “Is that the capital building? And what monument is that?”

  “Yep, that’s the Untied States Capital and that’s the Washington Monument.” He pointed to each. “They had me on lock-down in here for weeks. I missed this view. Guess Khani called off surveillance since I wasn’t here and my assailant has been found.” He wiggled his brows and kissed her mom’s hand before releasing it to set their bags on the sofa.

  “Khani?” Mom asked. The crook of her mouth belied the casualness of her tone.

  Sophie stretched to keep from laughing out loud. Her mom had no clue how beautiful she was or how totally over the moon Vail was for her. That was part of her charm. Sophie bowed, grabbed the edge of the granite countertop, and tugged on her cramped back muscles.

  “She’s second in command, a ballsy babe just about as tough as you are,” Vail said. But she missed her mother’s reaction as she sank deeper into the delight of movement.

  When she straightened she noticed the scatter of papers across the otherwise spotless counter. Except for her fingerprints. Using the inside corner of her T-shirt, she wiped at the smudge and succeeded in smearing them into an even bigger mess. Her gaze snagged on a picture sticking out from the stack. A severed hand lay pale and limp in the dirt. Beneath it a dark, misshapen circle stained the ground.

  Vail’s hand slapped over the detached one and she jumped, nearly leaving her skin where she’d stood. He gathered the strewn papers into one file stuffed fatter than a taco at Renardo’s back home. “I shouldn’t have left this out. I’m sorry,” he said. His gaze jerked hers from the bundle in his hand. His thick brows V’d in concern.

  “I’m not a baby,” she reassured. “I can handle it.”

  The file hit the counter with a thump. Vail stepped forward and framed her shoulders in his big hands. “I know you can, but you shouldn't have to see the horrors the world has to offer. Only the beauty.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Often, it changes a person. Dims their inner light. I don’t think that’ll happen to you. You’re too strong, but if I can protect you from it, I will.”

  Sophie’s h
eart exploded with love. Or maybe it was her stomach. Because she couldn’t catch the words that rocketed out of her mouth. “I love you.”

  Vail dragged in a sharp breath as though she’d stabbed him with a really big kitchen knife. Her mom’s wasn’t far behind.

  Two for the price of one.

  Her gaze dropped to her feet. She suddenly wanted a super-power. Invisibility or teleportation would have been handy. Or time augmentation. His finger crooked under her chin and lifted. She closed her eyes—not nearly as brave as her mother—terrified by the pity or disapproval she might see on his face.

  “Sophie.” Her shoulders dropped a bit and she opened her eyes. Vail smiled, not big and cheesy. This was a new one. Small and almost a frown at the same time. “I love you, so much.”

  She played the words over in her head to be sure she heard him correctly. His hand on her shoulder tugged just a little and she dove for him. He lifted her into the air as though she were no more than a few molecules of O2. The oxygen in her lungs jarred as she met his hard chest and his arms encompassed her. She clung to him just as fiercely, squeezing with all she had.

  He twirled her about, once. As the room spun her mom came into view. A wash of wonder and fear blighted her pretty face. Their dual declarations obviously poleaxed

  her. Heck, Sophie was shocked and she’d initiated the whole thing. She latched onto the amazing feeling and the closest thing to a father figure she would ever have in her life.

  After a minute more, his lips brushed her hair. He set her on the floor and stepped back. “All right.” His hand ran from the crown of his skull to his forehead, flattening his already flat hair. “Let me show you to your room.” Probably sensing Mom needed a minute, he skirted them both, grabbed her bag, and headed left through the open living area and down a short hall. She followed in a rush. “My bedroom is the only one in the opposite hallway. You need anything, let me know. Bathroom is on your left, and here is your room.”

  He flipped on the lights and the massive window continued through the room’s exterior wall. Stepping inside he drew the thick curtain, blocking out prying eyes. “The bed is small, but so are you.”