Saved by a SEAL (Hot SEALs Book 2) (6 page)

CHAPTER 8

“L
ook. Your parents are here.” After surveying the seated diners in the room, Zane glanced at Missy.

He saw her cringe at his observation before she said,
“Yes, they are.”

He
paused in the doorway rather than go to the maître de stand for their table assignment. “We should say hello before we sit.”

“If you insist.” She
glanced around the dining room and, cocking a brow, sent him a sly sideways glance. “Oh, look. Your parents are here, as well. We’ll have to go say hello to them next.”

He couldn’t help but smile.
He liked how this new adult version of Missy gave as good as she got. They certainly were kindred spirits.

It
took his hand on her lower back and a gentle nudge to spur Missy into motion. He could have sworn she dragged her feet as they made their way to her parents’ table.

“
Mrs. Greenwood, you look more beautiful every time I see you.” Zane leaned down and kissed Missy’s mother on both cheeks before he straightened up and extended his arm to shake her father’s hand. “Senator Greenwood, sir. You’re looking well. How have you both been?”

The older man pumped Zane’
s hand enthusiastically. “Good. Good. And how are you, son?”

“I’m v
ery well, thank you.”

“It’s such a pleasant surprise to have you visiting.” Mrs. Greenwood smiled sweetly.

Parents always had loved him. Parents other than his own father, that was.

“I know. I don’t visit near
ly enough. But maybe that will change in the future.” Zane shot Missy a meaningful look. He left his hand resting on her lower back, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that his father would see the deliberate move from across the dining room.

“Oh?” Mrs. Greenwood raised her perfectly shaped brows high.
“And why is that?”

“I’m thinking of
rejoining the civilian ranks.”

Missy frowned up at him.
“Really? You didn’t mention that today.”

Zane lifted one shoulder. “We were having too much fun. It didn’t come up. My current contract has a few months yet so it wouldn’t be until later this year
, anyway. I guess about the time you’re getting back from Nigeria, I’ll be getting out of the Navy.”

One
blond curl hung over Missy’s eye. He reached up and brushed it to the side as her gaze met his. He glanced at her parents and saw the interested looks he and Missy were getting from them. No doubt his own parents wore similar expressions. Maybe it was time to go spread the love around.

“I suppose we should say hello to my mother and father and then sit down for dinner. I’ve kept Missy busy all afternoon and haven’t fed her a thing aside from a cup of coffee and that drink in her hand.”
Zane sent his most charming smile to Mrs. Greenwood.

She allowed him to kiss her
one more time on the cheek as she said, “Of course. Sit. It was good seeing you.”

“You as well, ma’am.” Zane turned from Missy’s mother to her father.
“Enjoy your dinner, sir.”

“You too. Good to talk to you, son. Don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t.” After another hearty handshake from Senator Greenwood, Zane and Missy were finally making their way across the dining room.

“Now it’s my turn.
” Missy said it low enough that only he could hear, before she stepped forward with both hands extended to his parents. “Mrs. Alexander. Lovely to see you.”

“Missy, darling. What a surprise seeing you here with Zane.”

“We’re having dinner. Didn’t he tell you?”

“No, he didn’t, but it’s wonderful seeing you two are catching up.”

“It is nice to catch up after so many years.” She shot him a glance and he heard the remonstration in her tone.

It
had been too many years since he’d seen or talked to her and Missy wasn’t letting him get away with it. This new strong side was one of the traits he was finding he liked best about her.

Missy
moved to his father and kissed his cheek. “Mr. Alexander, I heard you bested my father on the course last weekend. He might never recover.”

“Eh, he’ll get over it.” Old Georgie treated Missy to such a genuine smile that
it took Zane aback. “Besides, he’s got a few other things on his mind with the campaign.”

“That he
does, but shh. Remember, he hasn’t made the official announcement yet.”

George nodded. “Right. Well I’ll be the first one to back him when he does.”

“And I know he appreciates your support. But I should let you two get back to your dinner. We’re interrupting.”

His mother waved away Missy’s concern. “Not at all. We haven’t
even ordered yet. You should join us.”

Missy glanced back at Zane with a sly expression. “Zane, did you want to join your parents for dinner?
I know you don’t have the pleasure of seeing them as often as you’d like.”

The little minx knew exactly how he felt about spending time with his father. She was getting back at him for dragging her over to see her parents. He smiled.
“As lovely as that would be, I’m going to be selfish. Mother, Father, with all due respect, I want Missy’s undivided attention this evening. Did you know she’s leaving soon for three months in Africa where she’ll be teaching at a school?”

“No. I didn’t know.” His mother frow
ned and turned to his father. “George, did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t.”
Georgie frowned and shot Zane a look filled with suspicion. As if he was lying to get out of their deal.

“
I think my parents keep hoping I’ll change my mind about going. I guess they think if they don’t tell anyone, I’ll back out.”

Zane let out a snort. “I can’t blame them there.”

“Zane, I want to go.”

“I know
you do, but that means we don’t have much time to spend together before you do, which is why we’ll respectfully take our leave now. If you’ll excuse us, the maître de should have our table waiting.”

His mother, sweet as always, reached out to squeeze his hand.
“Of course. You two go and enjoy your evening. We understand. It was so nice talking with you, Missy.”

“You
too, Mrs. Alexander. Mr. Alexander.” She smiled, charming even a hard man like his father.

It was obvious Missy ha
d been born into this life. She was the quintessential politician’s daughter. Good at small talk. Quick to smile. Always knowing the right thing to do and say to everyone. She was pretty much the polar opposite of Zane.

S
he’d stuck it out in this world. He had to think it took more strength for her to stay than it had for him to leave.

“Zane, will you be staying at the house tonight.”
Georgie eyed him before he could get away.

“Yes,
sir. Unless I get called back to base.”

“Then
I expect we’ll talk later back at the house.” The man’s tone left no doubt that they would.

“I expect
we will. Mother, I’ll see you later.” Zane forced a smile and, with a hand on Missy’s back, guided her away from the table. He leaned toward her when they were out of earshot. “Did you enjoy that?”

“Enjoy what?” Her voice lilted with laughter.

“Torturing me.”

“Oh
, come now. It wasn’t that bad. Your mother is a darling.”

“Yes
, my mother is.”

His mother wasn’t the issue.
It was the accusation in his father’s eyes and the tone of his words that had pushed Zane’s blood pressure higher. When he pushed the simmering anger aside, there was something else that had been revealed during the brief conversation with his parents that continued to nag at his brain.

He waited until the maître de had shown them to their table and they were alone before he asked, “What campaign is your father about to announce?”

When Missy glanced around them and then leaned forward before she answered, Zane had to assume this wasn’t simply about reelection for his current senatorial seat.

“Only a handful of people know. . .” She paused.

Zane lifted his brow. “Missy, do you know what level of clearance I have? Believe me, you can trust me to keep a secret.”

“Of course, I trust you.
” She leaned in even closer. “He’s hoping to get the nomination at the Republican convention. He’s making a bid for president.”

Senator Greenwood—running for President of the Unit
ed States. Of course George Alexander would want to ride the coattails of the politician who could become the most powerful man in the free world. It all made sense now why his father was so interested in joining the Alexanders and the Greenwoods with the bonds of matrimony.

“Zane?”

He’d gone quiet, lost in his own thoughts, and Missy had noticed. He smiled and glanced at the stage where a piano player had started playing background music. “Since when do they have live music during dinner? That’s new.”

“No, it’s not new at all. It started about the time you were in college but you
always snuck out by the time the music started.” She smiled.

“My loss.” He stood and extended his hand
to her. “Dance?”

After a look of surprise, she
placed her hand in his. “I’d love to.”

The feel of having a woman in his arms wasn’t unfamiliar to Zane, but th
at they were on the dance floor and fully dressed at the time certainly was. So was the fact that Missy was a friend. He hadn’t realized how much of one until today.

Way back when
, she’d been a tag-a-long. Her one and only sibling, a brother, was much older. He’d married and had moved away twenty years ago, so Zane always figured he’d been a substitute brother for a girl who was being raised more like an only child.

Today had shown him they really did have a shared past.
He knew her as well as she knew him, then and surprisingly now too. Deep down he was still that same rebellious son quick to want to do the opposite of his father’s wishes . . . except for asking Missy out. But Zane had done that not for Georgie, but for Jon. And for Rick and Chris and GAPS.

As Zane steered Missy
in slow motion around the dance floor, he appreciated the feel of her beneath his hands. Her warmth. Her curves. Complying with his father’s wishes aside, this had to be the easiest assignment he’d had in a long time. He was having no problem taking one for the team.

In her sexy as sin high-heeled boots, which he didn’t dare think
about too hard while pressed this closely to her, she came up to just above his chin. He detected a fresh, clean aroma. Apples maybe? He leaned lower, resting his cheek against her hair as he breathed in the scent of her.

She leaned into him, lost in the moment,
the music, and possibly the martini she’d downed fast enough that it had probably gone to her head.

Not so for Zane
. He’d been sipping his one beer, mainly in case he got called in and needed to drive back to base tonight. Of course, there was one other consideration. Too much alcohol made a man do foolish things, such as forget himself. Forget that he shouldn’t be taking advantage of the sweet young thing he’d watch grow from a child in pigtails, to a teen in braces, to the woman in his arms who he wasn’t going to allow himself to think of as a woman.

If this were any other female
and this any other situation he’d be buying her another drink or two and booking a room at a hotel. But this was good old Missy. This was also presidential candidate Greenwood’s daughter who Georgie had his eye on to expand the Alexander dynasty.

Z
ane didn’t need any more reasons than that to put Missy firmly in the hands-off category, though doing so would be far easier if his hands weren’t currently on her.

His palm braced low on her back, steering her movements, but more keepin
g her close. His other hand held hers. It felt small and delicate in his, reminding him that this girl wasn’t nearly equipped to be alone in Nigeria. She’d spent her life living amid the dangers of the rich and powerful, but that wasn’t any kind of training for what she could face on the other side of the world if things went bad.