Strong Silent SEAL (SEALs of Coronado Book 2) (8 page)

Chasen exchanged looks with Logan. This part could get them into hot water if anyone ever found out.

“The cops recovered the weapon used to kill the city inspector because the four of us,” Chasen gestured to Logan, Nash, and Dalton, “broke into Nesbitt’s house in the middle of the night because I thought the man had kidnapped Hayley—which he hadn’t. Anyway, he came after us with a bunch of his private security guys. It turned into a flat-out gun battle in the most expensive neighborhood in San Diego.”

Trent’s eye’s widened. “No shit! Does the old man know?”

“Hell, no.” Chasen grimaced. “If he did, we’d all probably be in Leavenworth breaking big rocks into little rocks. The problem is, Nesbitt knows we broke in. I’m worried he’s going to try to use it to get himself out of this somehow.”

Logan ground his jaw. The dirtbag should already be serving a life sentence for the part he played in the city inspector’s death. “How could he use it?”

Chasen’s mouth tightened. “Let’s say Hayley had a theoretical conversation with the DA. According to her, if Nesbitt’s lawyer can make the break-in seem like some kind of extreme federal government overreach, he might be able to get the weapon tossed out as evidence. If that happens, the case will probably be tossed out as well.”

Trent considered that. “Then what happens to you guys?”

“Hello Fort Leavenworth. Good-bye freedom.”

“Damn,” Trent muttered. “If you guys ever need help with that asshole, call me.” He checked his watch. “I’m going to get out of here. See you around.”

Logan and the other guys climbed into his SUV a few minutes later.

“Felicia seems nice,” Chasen said conversationally from the passenger seat as Logan turned onto the road.

Logan had wondered when someone would bring Felicia up in conversation. He gave his friend a sidelong glance.

“She’s very nice.”

Not to mention beautiful, sexy, and captivating. She was also smart, fun to talk to, and a fantastic cook. Oh, and when she kissed him, it damn near brought him to his knees. He could only imagine how good it would be when he and Felicia finally slept together.

He sure as hell wasn’t going to tell these guys any of that, though.

“And she handled the heaping serving of reality Kurt said Melissa and Hayley gave her without running for the hills,” Dalton remarked. “That definitely bodes well for the future of your relationship.”

Logan looked at his Teammate in the rearview mirror. “Bodes well? Who the hell talks like that? And for the tenth time, there is no relationship. I’m focused on the here and now. That’s as far forward as I want to think about right now.”

“Uh-huh,” Dalton said. “You guys heard that, right?”

Chasen and Nash nodded.

“Yup,” Nash agreed. “He said
right now
. I heard it clear as day.”

“You’re already starting to caveat your denials,” Chasen said. “It won’t be long before you’re telling us you and Felicia aren’t getting married…
right now
.”

Logan looked over at Chasen to see him grinning from ear to ear.

“What the hell is so funny?” he asked sharply.

“Nothing,” Chasen said then added, “Right now, at least.”

Logan wanted to tell them Felicia wasn’t any different than any other woman he’d gone out with, but he couldn’t make himself say the words. Because no matter how much he tried to deny it—even to himself—Felicia was different. If not, he would have slept with her a couple of times already and moved on. Resisting the urge to take her to bed after kissing her on the beach the first night hard been difficult enough. He should probably be given a medal for refusing to give in to his more primal instincts after making out on her couch when they’d come back from the cookout yesterday. The mere thought of how she’d straddled his lap and wiggled while they’d kissed was enough to make him hard in his uniform pants.

But just because he wanted to take things slowly with Felicia didn’t mean he planned on getting himself fitted for a tux. It simply meant she was more special to him than the other women he’d gone out with. There really wasn’t anything more monumental about it.

At least for right now.

Chapter Seven

F
ELICIA AND HER sister hadn’t had a girls’ night out since before the kidnapping, so as far as she was concerned, they were long overdue. Other than a few quick phone calls and some texts, they hadn’t even talked much since Stef had come over to help her get ready for her date with Logan, and neither of them had said anything about what had happened in the warehouse. Felicia wanted to make sure she was okay.

Since it was a Tuesday night and Stef had an early class the next morning, Felicia suggested takeout from one of their favorite Lebanese restaurants. Stef offered to pick something up on the way over and showed up promptly at six-thirty with two servings of chicken tawook. Chewy gave the marinated chicken a longing look before going back to his bowl of dog food.

Felicia speared a piece of chicken, savoring the tangy combination of yogurt, lemon, and garlic coating it. “So how have you been doing?”

Stef glanced up from her plate. “Good.”

Felicia gave her a look. “I mean how are you really doing?”

“I’m fine,” Stef said.

“Stef, you got kidnapped. I’m pretty sure you’re the opposite of fine.”

On the other side of the table, Stef frowned. “You got kidnapped, too.” She sighed. “Look, I know you worry about me, but I’m okay. Really.”

Felicia searched her face, looking for something to indicate her sister was dealing with stuff and not telling her. But she didn’t see anything to make her doubt Stef. Then why did she get the feeling her sister was hiding something?

“Enough about me,” Stef said. “I want to hear about you and Logan.”

It was an obvious attempt to change the subject, but Felicia let it slide.

“What do you want to know?” she asked.

Stef sipped her iced tea. “How your date went the other night, for starters.”

Felicia’s lips curved. “It went great. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun hanging out with a guy before. We even went for a moonlight stroll on the beach.”

Her sister’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, sounds romantic.”

“It was.”

Stef scooped up some chicken with her fork. “Did you kiss?”

Felicia laughed. “Yes, Nosy Nellie.”

“And did he spend the night?”

“No!” But she’d wanted him to. “Stef, it was our first date.”

“So? Do you have a three-date rule before sleeping with a guy or something?”

More like a five-date rule, but she didn’t tell her sister that. “Logan and I both want to take things slowly, that’s all.”

Stef grinned. “Sound like you guys are getting serious already.”

Felicia reached for her iced tea. “It was just one date, Stef. Well, two counting the cookout we went to on Sunday. Even so, it’s way too early to be talking about getting serious with a guy.”

Her sister scowled. “That’s crap. When you find the right guy, you know it.”

It was Felicia’s turn to frown. “That sounds like something out of a romance book. Stef, love is more than lust and attraction. It’s about getting to know each other over time and making sure you’re compatible with each other. It’s about having the same goals and plans, and having a true long-term commitment to each other.”

Stef snorted. Picking up her empty plate, she carried it over to the dishwasher. “That’s not a relationship. That’s a business deal.”

“That’s being smart.” Felicia followed her sister over to the dishwasher, plate in hand. “Heck, Mom and Dad dated for five years before they got married.”

Her sister shook her head. “That’s insane.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get going.”

“Already?”

Stef nodded. “Craig has class tonight, and I want to see him before he leaves.”

Craig Bowers was Stef’s boyfriend.

“Okay. Drive carefully. And text me when you get home,” Felicia said.

“I will.” Stef gave Chewy’s ear a playful tug. “You’re a guy. Talk some sense into my sister about Logan, would you?”

Felicia rolled her eyes. Her sister was way too idealistic for her own good. Stef was also very good about changing the subject. They hadn’t even talked about how she was dealing with getting kidnapped. Then again, maybe not talking about it
was
how Stef dealt with it.

Sighing, Felicia finished cleaning up then turned on the TV and curled up on the couch with her laptop to surf the Web. But while she caught up on her email and fooled around on Pinterest for a little bit, she spent more time thinking about Logan.

She hadn’t wanted to admit it to Stef, but she was cautiously eager to see where this thing with him went next. To bed was the obvious place, and while she was all for that, she meant beyond that. Despite what she’d said to Stef about it being too early to get serious with him, there was definitely potential for a long-term relationship.

Two hours and nearly a hundred Repins on Pinterest later, Felicia got ready for bed then snuggled under the blankets with the most recent fabric swatches she and Heather were mulling over for the upcoming weddings they’ be doing in the fall.

Once again, thoughts of Logan intruded, only this time, she got distracted by his amazing kisses. She was just thinking about which parts of her anatomy she’d like him to put that talented mouth of his on when her cell phone rang.

She grabbed it off the nightstand, expecting to see Stef’s name on the screen, but instead it was Logan. Had his ears been burning?

Pulse skipping a beat, she thumbed the green button and put the phone to her ear. “Hey!”

“Hey yourself.” His deep, sexy voice washed over her. “I didn't wake you, did I?”

“No. I’m just lying in bed looking at color swatches.”

And fantasizing about you.

“Lying in bed, huh?” he said. “What are you wearing?”

“A tank top and a pair of panties.”

“That’s quite the image. Wish I were there,” he said then added, “Although if I were, you probably wouldn’t be wearing the bra and panties for long.”

Mmm, she liked the sound of that. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel his hands on her bare skin. “Oh? And what would you do after you took them off?”

“For starters, I’d explore every inch of your naked body with my mouth, starting at the sensitive little spot behind your ear and working my way down.”

Heat coalesced between her legs, making her catch her breath. “Sounds like it could take a while. Not that I’m complaining. Although,” she added, “I’m having a little trouble picturing exactly what you’d be doing. Maybe you should describe it to me in detail.”

Logan chuckled softly then did exactly that.

* * * * *

Logan couldn’t help grinning as he walked into Wedded Bliss the following day. The chief had told him to take the rest of the afternoon off as a way of making up for all the extra crap he’d taking from Commander Hunt lately, so he’d made a beeline for Felicia’s office to see if she could get away for lunch. With huge framed photos of models in beautiful bridal gowns on the walls, colorful flower arrangements positioned here and there, and granite counters covered with fancy parchment invitations, not to mention a bookcase full of bridal magazines, the place was a bride’s dream house.

Felicia sat at her desk near the back wall, surrounded by stacks of bridal magazines, and she looked up at his entrance. “Hey! I didn’t know you were going to stop by.”

He returned her smile. “I got the rest of the day off and thought I’d stop in and take you out to lunch.”

Grin broadening, Felicia stood and came out from behind the desk to give him a kiss. “I’d love to go.”

She gazed up at him for a moment, the twinkle in her eyes making him wonder if she was thinking about last night’s telephone conversation.

On the other side of the room, someone cleared their throat.

Felicia’s eyes widened. She turned and gestured to the blond woman seated at the other desk. “Oh! Logan, this is my friend and business partner, Heather Morris. Heather, meet Logan Dunn.”

Heather came around the desk to shake his hand. Petite and curvy, she was all smiles and Southern charm. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Felicia has told me so much about you I feel like we’re friends already.”

“Felicia’s told me a lot about you, too.” He looked at Felicia. “You ready to go?”

“Yup. Let me grab my purse.”

“Actually, since Logan has off, why don’t you go ahead and take the rest of the day?” Heather suggested to Felicia.

“I can’t,” Felicia protested. “I have a ton of work.”

“And it will all still be here tomorrow, so go!” Heather made a shooing motion toward the door. “It’s too beautiful a day for both of us to stay cooped up in the office. Go hit the beach or something, sugar.”

Felicia gave him a questioning look. “What do you think?”

He grinned. Did she even need to ask? “I think it sounds like a plan.”

“See?” Heather said.

Felicia laughed. “Okay, okay! We’ll go. But you have to promise to take a day for yourself next week.”

Heather nodded. “Sure thing, sugar. And if you find a blond-haired, blue-eyed surfer hunk looking for a little southern hospitality, send him my way.”

“She’s like a force of nature,” Logan said with a chuckle as he and Felicia walked outside.

Felicia laughed. “Yes, she is. It’s part of why I love her.”

“How’d the two of you become business partners?”

“We worked together at the event planning company I mentioned to you the other night. We both wanted to focus on weddings so we decided to open our own business.”

He came to a stop beside her SUV. “I need to stop by my place to change. Meet you at your condo in thirty minutes?”

“If you want to bring some clothes for after the beach, you can shower up at my place then we can go out to dinner,” she suggested. “There’s this new place in Mission Valley I’ve been wanting to try. They cater receptions, and I’d like to see what their menu is like.”

Even if she was combining business and pleasure, it still sounded good to Logan. He couldn’t think of anything better than hitting the beach with a beautiful woman on a hot, sunny day followed by good food someone else made.