Delta Recon, Book Two
The Seal Team Series
A SEAL ON A MISSION…Taylor Rouland spent over a year trying to forget the one woman who was unforgettable. Wounded on a mission, his team turns to Jacqui, the woman who had been haunting his dreams and the last person he expected to assist his friends.
A FIERY AND FEARLESS OFFICER… Jaqui gave her heart and body to Taylor, foolishly thinking he cared as deeply for her as she does him. When he left her without so much as a goodbye, she picked up the pieces and moved on.
A DANGER NEITHER EXPECTED… When Jaqui is sent off in his place to the rainforest of Colombia to help track Jose Medellin, the leader of the Bloque drug cartel wastes no time in abducting the only female on their team. In an instant she’s gone without a trace. Taylor and the rest of the Phantom SEAL Team race against the clock to save Jacqui, knowing the horror awaiting her at the cartels hands. Taylor may find her in time to mend her body, but it may be too late to mend her broken heart.
excerpt
Jaqui stared at the clothes laying on the bed, unsure what to pack. Her mind and body felt numb. Coming home from a late dinner, her parents’ vehicle was hit in the middle of an intersection by a large pickup truck. Luckily for them a surgeon had been coming up behind and seen the accident and stopped to help. The other vehicle had fled the scene as he’d pulled up, leaving nothing but destruction to show he’d been there. Although she didn’t think their small town had cameras on the stop lights, her mind raced to whether the local businesses might have security cameras. With the accident occurring right in the middle of Main Street she hoped at least one of them had a camera she could hack into and get a glimpse of the vehicle, and maybe the driver.
“What are you plotting?” Tay asked leaning against the door frame.
She had no clue how long he’d been standing there, but could kick herself for not paying attention to her surroundings. Actions like that could get her dead real quick. “I was thinking about how I could track down the hit-and-run vehicle.”
Tay straightened, coming to stand next to her. “We will track him. Together. Feel me?” He pulled her against him. “Where you go I go. Until this is over, you are not to go anywhere alone, Jaqui.”
A lump the size of a melon lodged in her throat. “You think someone tried to kill my parents, don’t you?”
“I think it’s a real possibility. They could have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, or it could be Medellin and his men. Either way, you don’t need to be alone. You are my heart, Jaqui. When I saw that jaguar lying on you, even before I knew it was you, I made a promise that I plan to keep, and that was I wouldn’t fuck up again. If I have to super glue your ass to my side, I will do it.”
She smiled in spite of herself. “You’d look a little silly with me in your dress uniform.”
He gave her a little shake. “Don’t. Please, for all that I hold dear. Don’t. Fuck, woman. Don’t you understand how much you mean to me? Feel that.” He put her palm to his chest. “My heart belongs to you. If something happens to you, my heart may continue to beat, but I won’t continue to live. Sure, I may still breathe, eat, and sleep, but I’ll only be half a man because the other half of me is you. A man can’t really be whole without the love of his life, and that is you for me.”
“Taylor, you shit. I love you so damn much. You about killed me when you left and didn’t come back. For the past year and a half I swear I tried to hate you. God, I tried. Now, with those words, you hold the power to destroy me. If anything happens to you I won’t want to live. If you change your mind, I swear, I will hunt you down and…” she couldn’t continue as he pulled her into his arms and covered her lips with his. The usual all-consuming kiss that ended in their lovemaking was missing, replaced with a poignant one that meant even more. Love poured from him to her.
“If we had more time I’d show you how much I love you. But, we have,” he lifted his arm, looking at his watch. “Less than thirty-five minutes to pack and catch a flight. Commander Lee has us on the first one out.”
She hugged him one last time. “He cleared you to go with me?”
“Yeah.” He looked at the clothes lying on the bed. “You having issues deciding what to take?”
Knowing it was silly, she took a deep breath. “I’m nervous and being stupid. Both of which I’m not normally.” Snapping out of the stupor she’d been in since getting the text, she started rolling outfits into neat little rolls, filling the case on the bed.
“I’ll be ready in ten.”
True to his word, Tay had a suitcase packed and ready in less time than she, and was waiting for her in the kitchen.
They locked up the house, and with both their cases and laptops, were on their way to the airstrip at Barking Sands Missile Range. They’d be flying into Nellis Air Force Base, just twenty minutes away from Vegas. The closer they got, the more she felt on edge.
“If you don’t stop fidgeting you’re going to make the other passengers nervous.” Tay wrapped his fingers around her where they’d been twisting in the yellow fabric of the sundress she’d thrown on.
“I wish I could get an update on the flight.” She bit her lip.
He reached around the back of her neck, the warmth of his palm on her bare skin sent a tingle of awareness through her. “We could join the mile high club,” he suggested wickedly.
A laugh bubbled up. “Sure, could you imagine that getting reported back to our superiors?”
Tay sat in the center seat, with her near the window. He twisted a little blocking her from the view of those in the aisle. “You’re right. That would probably raise some eyebrows. But this,” he held her neck in one hand, while he trailed the other up her thigh under the hem of her dress. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear. “You’ll need to be quiet, sunshine.”
She pressed her knees together, but the man’s fingers slipping between the V of her thighs, had her wanting more. The blunt feel of his fingernail scraping over her clit had her arching forward, spreading her thighs wider, and giving him better access.
“That’s it. Now, let’s see how good I can make you feel,” he growled too low for anyone else to hear.
