In Zach's Arms (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 1) (14 page)

Before all the trouble had begun.

“I can’t believe you did this,” she choked out.

It was the room she’d dreamed of growing up. She’d described it to Zach over and over again when they had their stolen moments at school. She never thought about an entire house, just one room that she could call her own.

A library.

She’d smuggled in so many books when her father had been alive. They were her escape when she was locked inside her room. Books gave her a window and life outside of her controlled existence. She loved the smell of the leather bindings, the feel of the pages on her fingers. Her own personal escape.

It was why she became a writer. To give someone else an escape from a life that might not be everything they’d hoped.

Tears began to fall as she looked at the floor-to-ceiling book shelves that were intricately designed and built into the walls. The bay window had three large panels of glass that faced the south part of Zach’s property, so all that could be seen was sunlight and pine forest. The heavy drapes on either side were a deep royal blue with gold threads shot through that picked up the light. Directly underneath those beautiful windows was a built-in bench seat covered in a dark blue velvet material with pillows to match.
 

It looked like the perfect place to just sit and think, work out a plot problem, or simply read a book.

She turned and took in the rest of the room. Mounted to the front of the book cases was a fine brass railing with a delicate-looking ladder attached. She had always wanted a library with a rolling ladder so that she could climb to the top shelves.

There was only one book in the entire library and it was the one she had just written. Overwhelmed, she turned back toward the door to see Zach watching her with naked desire and something more.
 

“How did you remember?” she asked.
 

“I remember everything you’ve ever said to me.”

He looked deep into her eyes, maybe searching for the same thing she was searching for. Zach was always so self-assured that it never occurred to her that he might be scared to tell her his feelings. She was never quite as sure of him as he seemed to be of her.
 

“Why did you build this room?” she asked softly, already knowing the answer, but needing him to say it.
 

“For you,” he replied. “You’ve been the center of all my plans from the time we met.”

“It was high school. How could you possibly know?”

“That I love you?”

She nodded.

“The moment I looked into those sad chocolate-brown eyes I knew. I was yours and you were mine. Mine to protect, and mine to love and cherish for the rest of our lives.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“You needed time, baby. Time to grow up and find out who you wanted to be. And I needed to be able to provide for you, us, so I joined the Marines. Besides, you wouldn’t have really believed me back then. I did propose. It was the best I could do back then.”

He said it simply, with a shrug. All the hardships and sacrifices he’d made for her and he just shrugged it off as if it were the only option.

“I can’t believe that I didn’t see it. I’ve been such a coward. Always running away from emotions and complications. Scared that I would somehow end up like my mother. Trapped. A shell of the person I could be.”

She closed the distance between them and reached up to touch his cheek with her good arm.

“You’re the most important person in the world to me, and I never looked close enough to realize it,” she said.

“Do you know what the trouble with all my plans is?” he asked, nuzzling into her palm.

“No,” she replied with a sniff.
 

“It doesn’t work unless you love me. Even if you can’t marry me. Just stay with me and let me love you…prove to you that we belong together.”

It was hard to believe that she had fought against this for so long. Fought to stay away from the one person who loved her, despite her screwed up childhood. She’d always known that she loved him, but she’d refused to acknowledge that she was in love with him.

“I love you with all my heart, Zach. I have for forever, but I was never brave enough to tell you. And I promise you, I will love you for the rest of my life
.
”

He hugged her to him fiercely, making sure that he didn’t jostle her injury. Even then, he protected her. That was only one of the traits she loved about him; there were so many.

Zach would never be a talker, and he wasn’t the type of man to tell her that he loved her often, but she would know. He would show her in every way he knew that she was important to him. He already did.
 

“I love my room. It’s so beautiful and thoughtful and wonderful and…”

He put his finger up to her mouth to stem the flow and leaned down slowly to nibble on her lips. She sighed and opened her mouth to the man she loved. He took possession of her mouth like he had possession of her soul.

“I’m not scared anymore. I want to be your wife.” She looked deep into his eyes. “Make love to me, Zach.”

He pulled her body close and she could feel his hard erection pressing against her. She sighed when he leaned in and nipped her neck.

“That’s what I’ve been doing all along, baby, each and every time.”

“Then take me back to bed.”

“What about your arm? Maybe we should wait until you’re better.”

“You’re a Marine, Zach. Improvise, adapt and overcome.”

The End

Excerpt from
Lily’s Outlaw

Chapter 1

“You in position, Outlaw?”

Jesse James Calhoun, code name Outlaw, leaned against a crumbling pueblo wall at the mouth of the alley deciding how best to approach the large warehouse on the other end. The steel corrugated roof stood out against a sea of Spanish tile. No one was around. All the shops on the street behind him were closed for the next couple of hours for afternoon siesta. Foot traffic was light and dwindling. It was now or never.

“At the edge of the alley now. You have eyes on the precious cargo?”

“Yeah. Unfriendly’s got restless in the heat and opened a window,” said the voice through the earpiece.

“Entry point?”

“South side. Back door next to the dumpster.”

“Got it.”

Jesse pushed away from the wall and shuffled slowly into the alley. Anyone looking would think he was headed to some shade to sleep it off. It was sweltering under the dirty poncho, but it covered him from shoulder to mid-thigh. The cowboy hat he’d stolen was sweat- stained and smelled like cheap beer, but hid his blond hair and shaded his face.

Being a white man in Nogales, Mexico, wasn’t unusual. It was a border town and access point into Arizona. But a
gringo
this far into the shabby part of the city would be noticed.
 

He made it to the door and hunkered down next to the dumpster.

“Damn, man, I can smell you all the way up here.”

Adjusting his earpiece with his middle finger he whispered, “Fuck you, Shadow.”

A low chuckle rumbled through his earpiece and then abruptly cut off. “Movement. Two late arrivals.”

“Precious cargo?”

“Northeast corner. Hands and feet tied, bag over the head. Five un-friendlies one hundred feet away and agitated.”

Moving closer, Jesse pulled a small grenade from under the poncho. “Going in. Wound only.”

“Copy. Go now.”

Jesse checked the door, found it unlocked and sent a quick thank-you up to whichever deity was watching his ass. He stayed low, wrenched the door open and threw a concussion grenade toward the men as he dived toward his target.

Rapid, angry Spanish erupted about the time the grenade went off, throwing everyone to the ground. Ears ringing, Jesse ran toward the slender woman in a yellow sundress who slumped forward in the chair with burlap covering her head. A ragged brown leather satchel sat on the ground next to her feet. Too nice to belong to one of the thugs so it was most likely hers.

“Move your ass, Outlaw.”

He didn’t waste time answering, just grabbed the satchel and scooped the woman up and over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She struggled and squirmed but didn’t make any noise as he ran back the way he came.

Shots erupted followed by a couple of high-pitched screams. Shadow was the best sniper that Jesse had ever worked with so he knew his back was covered as he ran.

“I’m clear. Give me one minute and move out,” Jesse said as he sprinted toward the next block. The woman stopped squirming as soon as she heard his voice. Or maybe it was just the English that made her suddenly compliant.

“Copy that.”

He took a left at the next alley and ran one more block before he finally got winded. The truck was where he left it, thank God. It was built sometime in the seventies and had more rust on it than paint, but it ran like a champ and blended in. Dumping his passenger inside, he threw the satchel onto the floorboard and ran to the driver’s side.

“Stay down. I’ll untie you as soon as I can.”

Muffled noises reached his ears and the bag over her head moved as she nodded. That was all he needed as he fired up the engine and took off.
 

After a series of turns, he reached the edge of town and headed north toward the border. Eyes on the mirrors, he drove steadily. No one followed. At least not yet.

He pulled his earpiece out, knowing he was out of range, and reached for the burner cell taped under the dash. Dialing the number, the call was picked up immediately.

“All clear?”

“They never knew who or what hit them.”

Jesse nodded. That was good news. “Any casualties?”

“And have you pissed at me for creating an international incident?”

He laughed. The last thing Shadow cared about was diplomacy. No matter what country they happened to be in, he had his own brand of justice. But he followed orders and was a damned good friend. “Meet you at the extraction point.”

“Copy that. See you in four hours.”

The dirt road was pitted and bouncy, throwing them both around in the front seat, but his companion never made a noise. Ten minutes later, he pulled into the mouth of the ravine he’d scouted out the night before. It was wide enough to hide the truck and close enough to hoof it across the border in the dark. There were too many patrols, on both sides, to make it safe to cross while it was light out.

He parked the truck and turned to the woman lying on her side on the bench seat. He helped her to a sitting position and then ripped off the burlap hood draped over her head.

Jesse grinned into her shocked face.

“Jesus, Lily. Who’d you piss off this time?”

***

Liliana Richardson glared into the face of her rescuer. A man she hadn’t seen since she was seventeen years old and practically left at the altar. Okay, that was dramatic, but senior prom was almost as important in a girl’s life.

Especially in Texas.

The duct tape over her mouth was the only thing preventing her from having an emotional outburst of epic proportions.

“Promise you won’t bite me if I take that tape off?”

A snort was the only noise she could manage. Jesse’s killer smile appeared as he reached up and ripped the tape off so fast that she gasped.

“Holy mother-frick, did you leave any skin?”

He had the nerve to glance at the tape. “Well, let’s just say you won’t have to have your upper lip waxed for a while. And my, my, my, such language.”

“I don’t have my lip waxed, thank-you-very-much. I didn’t cuss and can you please untie me? I lost feeling in my arms several hours ago.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The blood rushed back into her hands causing that painful pins-and-needles sensation as she rubbed her battered wrists. Her ankles were in much the same condition and being thrown over Jesse’s broad shoulders hadn’t been kind on her ribs.

But none of that mattered as she threw herself at Jesse and tried to squeeze the stuffing right out of him. Whatever feelings she might or might not have for him, he’d saved her life today.

“Thank God you found me. How did you find me? And please tell me that you shot at least three of them. In very painful places.” She pulled back a fraction, nose wrinkled. “And what is that stench?”

The laugh rumbled up and vibrated from his body into her as he hugged her back as strong as she’d gripped him. “Good to see that not even being held hostage could depress you.”

Lily pulled back and grinned. “Hey, I’m absolutely thrilled to not be dead. Or raped. Or raped and dead.”

“I am too,” he said as he took off the smelly poncho and hat.

Lily took that moment to look around. More to bring some balance and distance from Jesse, who was even better looking than the last time she’d seen him, especially with his white T-shirt sweat-plastered to every muscle he had. They were in some kind of small canyon and even in the shade the heat was sweltering.