Cobb by Maryann Jordan
18
Josie realized quickly there was nothing to bring down a sex-endorphin high like the words, “Baby, we need to talk.” Well, maybe, “Thanks for the sex, and do you mind catching a cab?” Or perhaps when she was in college and got the, “That was great,” while the guy rushed to get dressed so he could get back to the dorm party. But those words only stung slightly, probably since they helped her avoid the awkward what do we do afterward moments.
Her chest deflated as air rushed from her lungs, and her muscles tightened in preparation to hear him try to let her down easily. He may have said she was more than a mission, but with her heart already involved, she steeled herself against whatever he might say.
She shifted so that she faced him completely, determined to not give in to the desire to race into the bathroom and hide. “Okay,” she said, hating the way her voice shook.
Her head rested on his arm and his hand curled around her back, holding her close. Their legs were still intertwined, and his left thumb swept over her cheek as his hand cupped her head. She stared at the strong warrior holding her, trying to discern his thoughts. As much as she was getting to know him, she still could not read all the emotions that moved through his eyes.
“I like you, Josie,” he began. “But I don’t know how to do this.”
Her tongue darted out to moisten her kiss-swollen lips, and as much as his words stung, she also felt a bite of anger. “Do what exactly, Jorge?”
“Us. What’s happening between us.”
Words and retorts fled her, leaving very little she could think to say. “I see.” Her response was inadequate, but considering she had no clue what he expected, it was the best she could do.
His gaze roved over her face before his brows lowered. “No, I don’t think you do.”
“I’m not a mind reader. Whatever you want to say to me, you just need to speak plainly. That’s not usually a problem for you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ve never done this before, so I’m afraid I’m making a mess of it.”
As irritation moved through her, she still reached up with a gentle touch to the side of his face. He seemed almost in pain. “Jorge, if you’re trying to tell me that you like me but all we can be is here and now, you don’t have to beat around the bush. I get it. I’m not asking for promises you can’t give.”
“I really am fuckin’ this up,” he said. “What I feel for you is real. I look at you, Josie, and I don’t just see a mission. I see a woman that fascinates me. Intrigues me. One that I respect and care for. And one that I want to take what we have and build on.”
Her chin jerked back and she blinked. “Build on?”
“Yes, but that’s what I can’t figure out. I’m used to analyzing situations and coming up with solutions. Sometimes I have time to plan, but often it’s on the fly. As a SEAL, I excelled at that. As a Keeper, my coworkers depend on that. A cool head. Calm rational solutions. But with you, I can’t seem to do that.”
She licked her lips again, still uncertain what he was getting at. His face remained unreadable, other than his eyes which were warm on her. “I know you’re trying to tell me something profound, but Jorge, I still feel like I’m in the dark. Maybe it’s because my sex-fatigue brain can’t function normally yet, but you’re talking in circles. Please, don’t make me try to figure out what you’re trying to say.”
Determination filled his features as he sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “Right now, we have to focus on your safety and find out how Caesar’s disappearance affects you. But something is building between you and me. Something special. Something real. Something that I want to keep going beyond the mission. I can’t stand the thought of leaving you when all this is over. But I live and work in Maine, and you’re here in New Mexico. I can’t figure out how we can make this work beyond the mission, so I tried to think about us just being here and now and we’ll figure things out later. And yet that goes against who I am. I want to have all the answers now. Not just for the mission but for us as a couple.”
“You want to be with me?”
Now it was his turn to blink as he nodded. “I thought that was obvious.”
“No, I thought you were breaking up with me. Or since we weren’t officially together, you were letting me down easy. You know, letting me know I was a… um… mission fling.”
His arms jerked against her back. “Mission fling? Seriously?”
“I don’t know. I guess I thought maybe I was just a fling that you were having now and when the mission was over, so were we.”
“Is that what you want?”
Huffing, she shook her head. “No, Jorge. I want you. I’m falling for you. But I thought maybe it was all on my side and not reciprocated.”
“Then damn, babe, I’m glad we got that cleared up.”
She shook her head slowly, not an easy task as she lay on her side wrapped up in his arms. “I… you…”
He chuckled, pushing her hair gently back from her face, his fingers trailing along her ear. “Now who’s not making any sense?” he teased gently, a smile curving his lips. With their bodies still tangled together, they lay quiet for a moment, speaking volumes with their eyes as fingers trailed along their arms and backs.
Her mind raced as fear had turned into hope and hope had turned into joy. And yet their relationship had advanced at the speed of light… or at least faster than any other relationship she’d ever had. Is it less real because it’s so fast?
“I don’t think so, babe.”
She blinked, surprised that she’d spoken aloud.
He continued. “Real is real, whether it’s fast or slow. I know what I feel for you. I know where I hope we’re going. I admit I don’t have all the answers as to how we’ll make it work for both of us, but I know you’re in my heart.”
“Is that what you were talking to your friend about?”
He nodded. “I know we have a lot more to discuss about you and me, but maybe it’s a good time to talk about the Keepers.”
At that, her finger traced over the lighthouse tattoo she’d admired on his shoulder. Nodding, she waited patiently.
“My boss got out of the military after doing a stint with the CIA. Over the years, he met others with the same work ethic and like-mindedness about what they’d like to do when they got out. He moved back to Maine and established the Lighthouse Security Investigations business. Then he proceeded to recruit former military and Special Ops who joined him at LSI. Mace grew up in Maine, close to a lighthouse, and said his grandfather used to tell stories of the lighthouse keepers. He said that it was once his dream as a child to become a keeper.”
“Keepers,” she whispered, entranced with his story.
Nodding, he said, “Yeah, that’s what we call ourselves. The Keepers. The keepers of the light in a dark world. Trying to keep others safe.”
“And your tattoo?”
“Each of us has the same tattoo, and there’s a tracer buried underneath the skin at the light. Our headquarters can keep track of every Keeper no matter where they are.”
“I like that. I like that you’re a Keeper. I like that you help others and use your strength to protect.”
His fingers glided down her back, landing on her hips where he gave a gentle squeeze. “Josie, you do the same thing with your caring nature and your strength, helping all those you work with.”
She took in what he said, turning it over in her mind. Lifting her gaze to his, she asked, “And your friend?”
“I found I needed some advice. You see, over the past several years, a number of the Keepers have fallen in love. While the women come from various walks of life, careers, all with their individual personalities, every one of the women that Keepers fall in love with has certain things in common. The same things I just mentioned about you. Strength. Conviction. Selflessness. It’s been said that it takes a very special woman to be with the Keeper.”
“Are you the only single one left?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, there are several of us that are still single, and our ranks keep growing as new people come on board. My boss was the first when he fell in love with Sylvie and her young son. The interesting thing was he met them when he was investigating a murder her son witnessed.”
Eyes wide, she gasped. “The little boy saw a murder?”
“From a distance, but yes. They started out when he was protecting them, but they fell in love. Another Keeper fell in love when he was in the middle of conversing with an informant and a woman literally dropped off a ladder on top of them.”
“You’re kidding me?”
“No, that’s how Rank met Helena.”
“So everyone is falling in love with someone they met on a mission?”
“Walker met Julie when he was rescuing her in Mexico. Babs works with us, and she and Drew had a thing for years but only gave into it when he had to fly to the Caribbean to help her out. Blake fell in love with Sara when she was kidnapped in French Guiana. The friend I was talking to, Tate, is with his high school sweetheart, but they were separated for many years. When she was kidnapped, he rescued her and they rekindled their romance. Levi was traveling across the country and picked up a woman who had car trouble. She was on the run from embezzlers, and as they traveled toward Maine, fell for each other.”
“Oh, my God, Jorge, this is crazy!”
“The last one to fall was Clay. He found a symphonic violinist who had nothing to do with the mission. But then she ended up in the middle of a drug investigation, so it turned out that every one of us has met someone like that.”
She was quiet for another moment, continuing to turn the information over in her mind. Sucking in her lips, she was uncertain what he was telling her was good. Hesitantly, she asked, “Isn’t anyone afraid that meeting under such extreme circumstances might not be the best way to start a relationship? Or maybe it’s a relationship that won’t stand the test of time once the crisis is over?”
“That’s the counselor in you, isn’t it? I get it, Josie. I used to think the same thing. But all I know is that there’s a certain type of woman that a Keeper looks for and a certain type of woman that is right for each Keeper. As I said, they’ve got to be smart, strong, independent, and trustworthy. Believe me, those are not easy traits to always find. Sweetheart, I found those traits in you, and you’re definitely in my heart.”
She smiled, still pondering what he was saying. “I guess—maybe—that makes sense. When you meet someone under extreme circumstances then you get to see them for who they really are. Not who they’re pretending to be. Not who they’d like you to think they are.”
His smile widened just before a chuckle erupted. “Not like a stranger who comes over to you at an event and tries to get you to dance.”
She blushed and nodded. “Exactly. The way we met was not really who we are. But this, right here, lying in your arms, is perfect.”
He leaned over and kissed her, new emotions flowing between them causing the kiss to flame brighter. His cock thickened against her stomach, and she reached between them to encircle him with her hand. Just as she hoped, he growled and rolled over her, encasing her whole body with his much larger one.
“Damn, woman.” His groan was swallowed by her own and she opened her legs, wrapping them around his hips with her heels digging into his back.
The kiss broke only long enough for him to grab another condom, roll it on, and then plant himself deep inside her channel.
She grinned, but he kissed the smile right off her face until she was lost in the euphoria of their combined releases. Later, much later, she drifted off to sleep, naked in his arms. And thinking she’d love to do this every night… not just for the mission, but for the rest of her life.
