Whirlwind (SAI Book 2) Read online

  He clasped her hands and then kissed her quickly. “I’m taking care of a problem that’s relatively easy for me. I want to kiss you as much as I can, and I know you won’t let me do that until you feel safe.”

  Spinning away, she started to pace. “You have lost your marbles. That is, if you ever had any. Your behavior suggests that perhaps you were never given any.”

  “I have plenty of marbles, and they all work. When you take a breath and calm down, you will realize that I’m right.”

  Heat suffused her face as her heart tripped over itself. She thought about killing him herself. There was no need to wait for him to get in the sights of Louie Tomatoes, because she was going to take care of him herself. She pointed to the door. “Out!” Stomping over, she opened it and waited. “I suggest you leave now, before I lose my temper.”

  “This didn’t go the way I planned.”

  When he stood in front of her, he tried to take her hand, and she wouldn’t let him. How dare he tell her to calm down and then say that he was right? Those were not words that allowed a man to live very long. “Never tell a woman to calm down, unless you plan on an early death.”

  “Is that where it went south?”

  “It started before that, but that drove the nail into the coffin.”

  “This isn’t over. We have a bump in the road. I’ll come back in an hour so we can go over to CA. You can beat up on me and get your frustration out. And then we’ll come up with a plan together.” He kissed her cheek and then stared into her eyes. “I want you, Sara. Just know I’m never giving up.”

  As he strode down her walkway, she felt like screaming. It was too much to handle. He was a bloody land mine. First the confession about his feelings and then the declaration about him handling her situation, and then he told her to calm down when she balked at the whole thing. Lord have mercy. Slamming the door shut, she turned and checked the clock. All of this before eight in the morning.

  Moments later, her phone rang, and she answered it with a growl. “What?”

  When Sammy’s voice came on the line, she felt foolish. Why should she take out her frustration on the only man who stood between her and danger? “Sorry.”

  “I’m calling you on Skype. I need to see your face and make sure that you’re not cracking under the pressure.”

  “I’m cracking, all right. But it’s because of my neighbor.”

  “That’s why I’m calling.”

  All she could hear were the birds calling to each other outside her window. The sound seemed at odds with what was currently going on in her life. As though the soundtrack to her current situation should include a heavy bass from a rap tune and not the melodic harmony of calm birds. “I’ll grab another cup of coffee and be ready in a couple of minutes.” Patting down her hair, she considered brushing it. “I might need longer if you can’t control your scream when you see me. I haven’t had time to put myself together yet.”

  “I never scream. I merely expressed my surprise at the way you appeared the last time we spoke.”

  “You keep telling yourself that, but from where I sat, it sounded like the scream of a fourteen-year-old girl. And not in a good way.”

  “If you’re done taking out your bad mood on me, I’m going to hang up.”

  She remained silent for a minute and thought about it. “I can harass you when we’re face-to-face.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  Sammy ended the call, and she shuffled over to the coffeepot and poured a fresh cup. When she dumped some cream into it and tasted it, she realized that it wasn’t as good as Grady’s. How annoying. He even made great coffee. The sound of a call coming in allowed her to quit thinking about him as she moved to her laptop. When Sammy’s face appeared, she tried to smile. It was fairly evident that it wasn’t working, because he cringed. “I told you not to be shocked.”

  “I’m not shocked…just surprised. How do you get your hair to stick up in so many different directions at once?”

  “Wild monkey sex. It’s not easy, but totally worth it.” She tipped back on her chair, drank her coffee, and waited for Sammy to get over his coughing fit. Apparently he wasn’t ready for true confessions so early in the morning. The fact that none of it was true just made it all the more entertaining. Glancing at her sketch pad, she noticed how handsome Grady was even in a pencil sketch. All she had done were quick drawings, but even with so little effort, she couldn’t deny how very appealing he was. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of all of his annoying qualities. While there was quite a list, none of it made a difference. Because even she couldn’t deny that he was a good and decent man at his core. Bossy and autocratic. But sweet and overbearing. God, she was giving herself a headache.

  “I’m back,” Sammy stated. “Got it together and fully operational.”

  Raising an eyebrow, she studied him. “If I say monkey sex again, can you hold yourself together?”

  “All I can do is try.” He straightened his tie and folded his hands.

  “For a man who was a Delta operator and then was on the HRT team, you sure are easy to rattle.”

  “Being in the Army and on the Hostage Rescue Team did not prepare me for the likes of you.”

  “Ahh…you say the sweetest things.”

  “If you’re done yanking my chain, then I would like to give you the latest. It seems your new boyfriend has been busy. He has his guys digging up everything they can find about you. SAI has access to some impressive programs, and in a couple of hours, Grady is going to know what grade you got in algebra.”

  “B-minus. That was my grade. It was never my thing.” Gulping down the rest of her coffee, she tried to compose herself. “Is this a bad thing or a good thing?”

  “Both. SAI is made up of men from some of the most elite special operations forces in the world. They have impeccable ethics, and they don’t stop until the job is done. If I was going to pick a company to protect you—it would be them.”

  “Really, that good?”

  “Yes, Sara. I got a call from the man who runs the Chicago office. Hank and I know each other from some training that we did together when he was still on the Teams and I was with HRT. He’s a rock-solid operator, and I trust him. Apparently your boyfriend dug up enough info to tie you to the Outfit. He asked Hank to get in touch with the FBI and let us know that you are now under his protection.”

  “That’s so infuriating. Why doesn’t he talk to me, maybe ask me if I’m interested?”

  “Is this the man who you’re going to have monkey sex with? Because if he is, then it’s all starting to make sense. If he’s fallen for you, then his behavior is right on point.”

  “This is because I kissed him the other day. All of this nonsense is my fault.”

  “Probably.” Leaning back, he crossed his legs and smiled. “In cases like this, it’s always the women’s fault. If you kiss us—then you have to keep us. Men are simple creatures.”

  “Truer words have never been said.” She twirled her hair up and tried to squish it into a bun. When that didn’t work, she gave up. “So, in your professional FBI opinion, what do I do?”

  “Let Grady do his thing. He’s a stand-up man with a ton of experience. If you won’t go into WITSEC, then this is a great option.”

  “But he told me to calm down and realize he was right. That’s not something that I can live with.” Glancing out the window, she saw Grady pick up his paper. “I would rather disappear than be in a situation with someone telling me what to do. And telling me to calm down. If you want to piss a woman off, then just utter that phrase.”

  “Yeah, I learned that lesson the hard way.”

  They studied one another and remained silent. “What is SAI, anyway?” Sara asked.

  “It’s a security firm that was started by a retired SEAL named Max Bishop. He started the company several years ago after retiring. The first office was in San Diego, and he expanded the company when one of his buddies became interested. I think they have six or seven
offices now. They are one of the most successful companies of their kind. The men who run each office are from the Teams, and they employ men and women from all of the spec ops groups.”

  “So, if I were to hire private protection, then this would be my best choice?”

  “Without a doubt. Let me talk to Hank again, and I’ll let him know what you’re up against. He’ll give me his honest opinion about what they can do for you. This is a great option, considering that you want to stay out of the program.”

  “When you speak with him, can you ask for a rundown of costs? If I do this, then I want to pay for it, and I have a feeling that Grady won’t tell me what they usually charge.”

  “I can ask, but I have a feeling that Grady will never let you write a check.”

  “That’s why I want you to find out for me. He told me that he wants to make sure I’m safe so he can kiss me.”

  “It’s good to know what motivates people. Makes things real clear.”

  “Yeah…he’s real clear about his feelings. I’m just not sure that I’m ready for them.”

  “Think about giving him a chance. He would be a good man to have on your side.”

  “I don’t think it’s my side that he wants.”

  Leaning forward, Sammy gave her a disapproving stare. “Thanks for the visual. I think of you as a sister, and I don’t want to be picturing you with a man.”

  “Whatever. Don’t get your boxers in a twist.”

  “Behave, Sara. I’ll call you after I speak with Hank.”

  “Okay. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I really do appreciate it.” She blew him a kiss and ended the call. Twirling a pen around, she considered everything he’d said. It seemed that having Grady around was her best option if the men in Chicago got serious about her. Or, she wanted a really sexy man to kiss.

  ***

  The doorbell rang at exactly nine, and Sara checked the monitor to see who it was. Man of his word, it was Grady. Walking slowly toward the door, she smoothed her ponytail and tried to feel in control. When that didn’t work, she pasted a smile on her face and tried to pretend she wasn’t freaking out.

  Swinging it open, she saw a big bouquet of flowers in front of Grady’s face. “It’s the flower man. How nice.” When he tipped them sideways and smiled, she felt her heart crack open. He was hard to resist even if he did tell her to calm down.

  “Agnes told me that I committed a cardinal sin this morning, and I now know that it’s never under any circumstances acceptable to tell a woman to calm down. Also, I’m supposed to ask you what you want and not tell you. So before you give me a hard time, I want you to know that I’ve learned my lesson.” He handed the bouquet over and kissed her cheek. “Let’s have a do-over.”

  Before he moved away, she held his arm. When he leaned down, she kissed him. It was meant to be only a quick one, but he deepened the kiss. Her stomach fluttered, and she leaned into the man who was making her crazy. Before she dropped the flowers and climbed up him, she heard Gladys and Agnes call out. That’s what you got for kissing in an open doorway. Pulling away, she leaned her head against his chest and dragged in a couple of deep breaths. So much for self-control.

  “I got this,” he whispered in her ear. Looping his arm around her shoulder, he snuggled her close against his body. “Hi, ladies.”

  They both watched the women approach with satisfied smiles. There was no way they were going to let this one go. Sara tried to come up with something and came up blank. Grady jumped in, and she couldn’t have been more grateful.

  “We’re just about to leave. I’m taking Sara to CA, and then we’re going to lunch. Lots to do today.”

  “Like smooching on your front porch?” Gladys asked.

  “Yeah, something like that,” Grady responded.

  Sara wasn’t ready to talk about it, because she didn’t understand it herself. How could she explain the turn of events if she wasn’t sure where it was going? Her emotions flipped from anger to desire with little effort on Grady’s part. He apologized, brought her flowers and kissed her and it was over. Just like that. Okay, that was a lot, but still…

  Gladys must’ve sensed her discomfort. She took Agnes’s arm and stopped her. “We just wanted to stop by and see if we’re still on for tomorrow. We both need a touch-up because our color is starting to fade. We look like we were left in the sun too long.”

  Sara handed Grady the flowers and stepped toward her friends. Gently she ran her hand over Gladys’s lavender curls and shook her head. “I think we need to see a hairdresser first. I want to make sure that we’re using the right product.”

  Gladys touched her crisp hair and shrugged. “If you say so.” She patted Sara’s arm and then took Agnes by the arm. “Let’s leave them alone. Call me in the morning and we’ll schedule an appointment with a hairdresser.”

  “Thank you,” Sara said quietly. “I’ll give you all the details as soon as I figure things out.”

  Agnes squeezed her hand. “I have a box of condoms under my sink. If you need them, just call me and I’ll run them over. Remember, protection is important.” Leaning over, she studied Grady. “His ex-girlfriend was crazy, and we don’t want you to get anything.”

  Coughing, she tried to smile. When she had a breath, she gave them a thumbs-up. After they both made it to the sidewalk, she turned around and tried to pretend that having her eighty-year-old neighbors offering her condoms was a regular thing.

  When she stepped back onto her porch, she took the flowers out of Grady’s hand and walked into the house. He followed and closed the door behind him. “I’ll be ready to go in a minute.” Laying the flowers down on the counter, she turned and noticed his smile. “What?”

  “Did Agnes offer to give you a box of condoms?”

  “Yes…she did. They’ve adopted me because they were best friends with my grandmother for over forty years. They see me as their responsibility, and they want me to be safe. So if I need some condoms, I can give her a call and she’ll run them right over.”

  She opened a cupboard and started to look for a vase. When Grady’s big hands clasped her waist, she squeaked. “You scared me. I didn’t hear you move.”

  He lifted her up, wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her out of the kitchen. Their faces were close enough that he pressed several small kisses against her lips as he walked over to the couch. Sitting slowly, he held on tightly as they sank against the cushions. When they were settled, he held her against him and pressed their bodies together.

  “What’s happening, Grady? What are we doing?”

  “I don’t know. But I have to have you in my arms so my heart doesn’t explode. I’ve been on a freaking roller coaster since Monday. You opened your door and I was hit. I’m not sure what it is about you, but you have me spinning in circles. And if you knew me, you would understand how impossible that is.”

  “Circles…really. That’s so sweet.” She tightened her hold and laid her head against his chest. Hearing his heartbeat thud against her ear allowed her to relax. “I’m sorry that I lost my temper this morning. I hate when someone tells me to calm down.”

  “I got that. Don’t worry. It won’t happen again. Next time, I’ll suggest that you let go. Really let your feelings out.”

  “I lost control of my life a little over a year ago, so it’s important for my sanity to have the illusion that I still have a choice about some things. So if you could ask me if I want something in the future, I would appreciate it.”

  “I can be overbearing, and I’ll try to work on that. It scares the shit out of me to think that you’re in danger. I have to do whatever I think is necessary to keep you safe, so that I can breathe. Because if I don’t, I will fuc…I mean, lose my mind.”

  She kissed his chest and leaned back. “How about we start over. I spoke with Sam this morning, so I know you probably know most of what’s going on. But I figure you may have some questions, and I’ll try to answer them.”

  “You’re not mad that I went
digging around?”

  “I probably should be, but I have bigger fish to fry.” Before she lifted herself off, he tugged her in. “What?”

  “Let me have a couple more kisses and then I’ll let you go.”

  Wiggling on his lap, she felt his excitement and tried not to smile. “Maybe we should go to CA and wait on the kisses.”

  “I know you can feel how much I like having you in my lap, and a couple more kisses is not going to change anything.”

  “Really? Because it may change some things for me. I don’t know about you, but kissing you makes me warm in places that I forgot I had.”

  “Are you telling me that if we make out, you may lose control?”

  “It’s possible, Grady.”

  “Hot damn, woman. We may have to call Agnes later on and have her run that box over.”

  Laughing, she fell over. Before she could right herself, he toppled on her and held her face in his hands. There was such a look of tenderness in his eyes that it caused her heart to stutter. Never before had a man looked at her the way he did. Lust, heat, and kindness were a powerful combination. Leaning up, she pressed her mouth against his. And just like that…the world slipped away. To hell with reality. It was just going to have to wait a while.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Sunday

  Grady strolled through the gate of Sara’s home with Dane, Kyle, and Lance. She hadn’t answered her phone or the front door, so he figured she was in the pool. As he rounded the corner, he spotted her in the water in her donut float. Her eyes were hidden behind her sunglasses and she was singing to herself. “Everyone turn around and don’t look.”

  Dane laughed and pushed past him. “Not on your life. You made me come over here early, so I’m going to enjoy the view.”

  “Not if I kill you first,” Grady responded. He hadn’t thought this whole thing through. There was no way that any of the guys needed to see Sara in her tiny red bikini. Taking a couple of large strides, he pushed Dane back and called out to Sara. “Good morning, Sunshine. I brought some company.” He must’ve startled her, because she sat up and almost fell out of her donut. “I brought the guys over to install the new security system.”