Special Forces Rendezvous

chapter 14



When Sebastian strode into the motel room several hours later, Julia had never been happier to see anyone in her entire life. He’d kept his promise and called her on the prepaid phone to let her know he was on his way back, but she still hadn’t been able to breathe easy, not until she saw him in person, saw with her own two eyes that he was okay.

And he looked more than okay. Her warrior was back, his gray eyes glittering with menace as he spotted Stephen Langley sitting stiffly at the kitchenette. Julia had brought Langley back to the motel room after his illicit rendezvous, claiming that it was for his own protection and that he needed to stay out of sight while the DHS conducted reconnaissance. She’d led Langley to believe that Sebastian and an entire team of special agents were pursuing the terrorist, when in fact it was a solo recon mission on Sebastian’s part.

Yet he was no longer working solo, she realized once two men in dark suits followed him into the room.

Federal agents. Real ones, she thought, noticing the Department of Defense ID cards affixed to their suit jackets. The taller of the men, a light-skinned African-American with piercing brown eyes, removed a pair of handcuffs from his pocket as he headed for Langley.

“Please come with us, Dr. Langley,” he said in a monotone voice.

Langley instantly shot to his feet. “What the hell are you talking about? What’s going on?”

With a shrug, Sebastian went to Julia and brushed a kiss on her lips before turning to the scientist. “These gentlemen are going to escort you to the Pentagon. I believe every alphabet agency in existence is interested in talking to you.”

Like a wild animal about to be trapped in a cage, Langley backed into the wall, eyeing the handcuffs with misgiving. “Why does he have the cuffs?” Accusation rang in his tone. “I signed the agreement, damn it! That means you can’t place me under arr—”

Sebastian interrupted. “Oh, that. Well, you see...” He offered a what-can-you-do? gesture. “We weren’t authorized to make any sort of deal with you. In fact, Agent Swanson and Agent Francis don’t exactly exist.”

Langley’s face turned redder than a fire truck. “You lied to me?”

“Sorry.” Now Sebastian merely shrugged.

“You’re not Homeland Security?”

Another shrug. “Not really.”

The real federal agents advanced on the livid scientist. As the metal cuffs snapped around his wrists, the man cursed up a blue streak and proceeded to hurl threats at every single person in the room. Suppressing a sigh, Julia watched as the federal agents escorted Stephen Langley out the door. She could still hear his incensed shouts even after the door closed, and a few minutes later, a car engine roared to life.

She turned to Sebastian with a quizzical look. “You called the DoD?”

“I had no choice.”

Taking her hand, he led her to the bed, where they sat down so he could bring her up to date on what he’d discovered during his surveillance. “I couldn’t have infiltrated that house on my own,” he finished. “So I contacted Brent. He’s sending a car for us in two hours.”

Confusion spiraled through her. “Where are we going?”

“We’ll be debriefed at the Pentagon, and Brent promised to keep you safe while I’m gone.”

Now a rush of fear chilled her body. “What do you mean, ‘when you’re gone’?”

Sebastian clasped her suddenly frozen hand, gently stroking her palm. “I’m going to be part of the assault team. They’re dispatching an elite military force to apprehend Escobar and secure the virus if it’s on the premises.”

To her mortification, tears stung her eyes. God, what was the matter with her? She was a doctor who’d seen unimaginable horrors. She wasn’t programmed with silly feminine responses like bursting into tears for no good reason.

She quickly attempted to collect herself and rein in her emotions. “Brent’s letting you do that, even though you’re no longer active-duty?”

“He suggested it. In fact, he was adamant that I be on the team, because I just spent the entire evening staking out the place.” Sebastian squeezed her hand. “Don’t look so worried, Doc. Chances are, this op will go down without a single hiccup.”

“Chances are?” She choked out a laugh. “That’s not at all reassuring, Sebastian.”

His features softened. “You know I’m not one to offer false assurances. So yes, there’s also a chance there will be hiccups. A lot of them.”

When he hesitated, Julia’s guard shot up. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“There was a disconcerting lack of external security at the house,” he admitted, rubbing his hand over the five-o’clock shadow darkening his jaw.

She frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means there’s a possibility that we’ll encounter some nasty surprises when we get inside. Explosives are the likeliest option.”

Her throat tightened with fear. “You mean you might get blown to smithereens once you enter the house?”

“Maybe.”

“Or walk into some booby trap straight out of the Saw franchise?” Julia’s heart was beating so rapidly that she started to feel light-headed.

“I’m fairly confident we won’t encounter any horror-movie contraptions.”

Sebastian had the nerve to laugh, but Julia couldn’t bring herself to feel an ounce of humor about any of this. He was being so damn cavalier about the notion that he might get blown up and it made her want to kick him.

“Hey, come on now.” He slid closer. “Get that crease out of your forehead.” His fingertips massaged the worried groove beneath her hairline. “Chances are, I’ll be just fine.”

“Stop saying chances are!”

He chuckled, then brushed his lips over hers in a tender kiss. “Don’t go all scaredy-cat on me, not this late in the game.” He peppered more kisses on her mouth before dipping his head to press his lips to the hollow of her throat. “You’ve been so ridiculously brave since this all started, and it’s impressed the hell outta me. So show me that iron strength of yours.”

A ribbon of emotion uncurled in her chest, circling her heart, sending rays of warmth through her body. She leaned forward and rested her cheek on Sebastian’s muscular chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. “I don’t want you to get blown up,” she whispered.

The sound of his laughter vibrated in her ear. “I don’t particularly want to get blown up either.”

He rubbed her back, then reached up and started pulling out the pins holding her hair up. When her hair was free from its confining chignon, Sebastian threaded his fingers through her long brown tresses, his touch sweet and soothing. Eventually he broke the contact, hopping to his feet and dropping the pile of hairpins on the table before heading back to the bed.

He just stood there for a second, sweeping his gaze over her, his gray eyes softer than she’d ever seen them.

“Take off your clothes,” he said gruffly.

She snapped into action. She slid her jacket off her shoulders and began unbuttoning her white blouse. As she hurriedly undressed, Sebastian did the same, and soon they were both naked, standing at the foot of the bed, watching each other.

She’d never really considered herself beautiful, but somehow Sebastian made her feel that way. When he looked at her, it was with such reverence, such wonder, such passion. Like she was the most appealing creature on the planet.

And he was equally appealing to her. She stepped closer and ran her hands over the hard planes of his chest, skimming his defined pecs and washboard abdomen and the trail of dark hair that arrowed down to his groin.

He groaned. “I love it when you touch me, Doc.”

Smiling, she continued to explore, petting and caressing and teasing until her hand finally made its way south to encircle his erection.

“So is this why the car isn’t coming for a couple of hours?” she teased. “Were you the one who asked Brent for the two-hour window?”

“Yes,” he admitted.

She laughed. “Well, I hope you didn’t tell him why.”

“No, but I’m sure he knows. All anyone has to do is take a good look at my face whenever you’re around and they’ll know exactly how much I want you.”

Her breath caught. “And how much is that?”

“A lot,” he said simply, and then his eyes grew heavy-lidded and he crushed his mouth over hers.

The kiss made Julia’s head spin. Hot, passionate, demanding. He kissed her like they had only a minute to live and he needed to make every second count, every thrust of tongue and glide of lips and nip of the teeth had to count. That same urgency was present when he scooped her into his arms and lowered her onto the mattress.

His warm, naked body covered hers, callused hands exploring her feverish flesh and stoking the fire of arousal smoldering inside her. Tension gathered between her legs. Her heartbeat accelerated like a Formula 1 race car. Her breasts tingled. Nipples puckered. A knot of restless desperation started to build, until she was digging her nails into the hard sinew of Sebastian’s back and begging him to enter her.

With a husky laugh, he grabbed a condom from the nightstand and sheathed himself. She expected him to plunge deep, to fill her with one passionate stroke, but his urgency seemed to have dissipated, replaced by slow tenderness.

His eyes shone like gray diamonds as he peered down at her, awe overtaking his handsome face. “How do you do this to me?” he murmured.

She swallowed. “Do what?”

Rather than answer, he kissed her again, his tongue sliding into her mouth at the same time his cock slid into her core. Her body stretched to accommodate him, and the feeling of sheer completion overwhelmed her. She didn’t know what was happening between them, but something felt...different.

He made love to her with such exquisite tenderness she wanted to cry again. Each slow, gentle stroke stirred her senses and brought her closer to the precipice. When he slid one hand to where their bodies were joined and feathered his thumb over her swollen bud, she moaned and rocked her hips, welcoming the rush of pleasure. Her climax sent her soaring, and as her heart pounded like a drum and her body trembled with bliss, she heard Sebastian’s hoarse cry, felt him grow still, felt his muscles tense as he let himself go.

Afterward, he rolled over and got rid of the condom, while Julia stared up at the cracked plaster ceiling. Stunned. Confused.

And happier than she’d ever been in her life.

Sebastian returned to bed and stretched out beside her. He fumbled for her hand and intertwined their fingers, keeping their locked fingers between their naked bodies as they lay in contented silence.

“Julia.” His voice was gravelly.

“Yeah?”

“If for some reason I don’t come back from that op tomorrow...”

Panic constricted her heart. “Hey, don’t say that. You’re not going to get blown up, damn it.”

“I know.” He paused. “At least I hope not.” Another pause. “But just humor me, okay? If I don’t come back, there’s something I need you to know.”

Unsettled, she moved onto her side and studied his profile. She couldn’t decipher the strange expression on his face, and that only troubled her more. “What is it?” she asked.

After a long moment of hesitation, he breathed in deep, then exhaled in a fast rush. “If I could offer you more than a casual affair, I would.”

Surprise lifted her eyebrows. Okay. Well, she hadn’t been expecting that.

But he wasn’t done surprising her.

“I could fall in love with you, Doc.”

Now her mouth fell open, and with her brows up at her hairline and her jaw down at her feet, she knew she must make a comical sight. She had no clue how to respond to either of those revelations, so she opted for, “Huh?”

Sebastian sighed. “I’m not making any sense, am I? I...I’m cursed, Julia. I’m totally freaking cursed, and that’s why I try not to get close to people.” An endearing crack broke his voice in half. “I can’t love you. Do you understand?”

Sheer and utter confusion left her speechless for an entire minute. And then she shook her head repeatedly and sat up. She wasn’t even self-conscious of her nudity, that’s how bewildered she was.

“No, I don’t understand,” she burst out. “What do you mean, you’re cursed, and you can’t love me?”

He moved into a sitting position, too, leaning his head against the wall. His expression conveyed nothing but anguish. “I get people killed, Doc. Everyone I love dies. Because of me.”

The odd confession caught her off guard. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“It is.” His powerful body emitted thick waves of sorrow. “I had a twin brother, you know. Michael.”

She blinked. “You did?”

“Mmm-hmm. We were identical twins. He drowned when we were twelve years old.” Sebastian turned his head to meet her eyes. “It was my fault.”

Julia instantly slid closer and reached for his hand. She found it was trembling. “I don’t believe that,” she said firmly.

“It’s true.” He gave a bitter shake of his head. “Michael and I couldn’t have been more different. He was the serious, studious type. I was the reckless thrill seeker. I always talked him into doing the craziest stunts, though I think half the time he agreed to come along so he could keep an eye on me. He always warned me I’d get seriously hurt one day.”

When Sebastian went quiet, she didn’t push him to go on. The pain in his eyes sent an ache to her heart, and the dull note in his voice brought the fresh sting of tears to her eyes.

“But he was the one who got hurt in the end,” Sebastian mumbled. “One night I convinced him to sneak out of our house after midnight so we could go late-night fishing at the lake about half a mile from our property. He bitched and moaned, but ended up coming with me, and we grabbed our rods and tackle boxes from the porch and ran off to the lake. After fifteen minutes without a single bite, I got bored of fishing and decided it would be fun to go skinny-dipping.”

Another silence descended. Julia suddenly felt queasy.

“So we shucked our clothes and jumped in the lake. Swimming, splashing, seeing who could hold our breath underwater the longest. I won with a time of ninety seconds. But me being me, I got bored of swimming as fast as I tired of fishing. Michael wanted to stay in the water for a bit, so I left him in the middle of the lake. When I reached the shore, I turned around to look at the water, and he was gone.”

A ragged breath wheezed out of his mouth. “He was just gone. At first I thought he was playing a prank on me, so I stood there for a few minutes, grumbling and pouting and shouting for him to quit being such a jerk. I was wearing my waterproof watch—that’s what we were using to time our underwater game, and suddenly I realized he’d been under for more than three minutes.”

Julia sucked in a breath. “Did you go in after him?”

“Without hesitation. I swam like I was being chased by a damn shark, but I couldn’t find Michael anywhere.” Sebastian’s voice cracked again. “I don’t know how long I was in that lake, Doc, searching for my twin brother. I dived as deep as I could, but I couldn’t see a damn thing. It was too dark and the lake was full of these pesky weeds that made it even harder to see. Eventually I went back to shore and ran home as fast as I could. I woke up my folks, and they got the police and fire department there in record time.”

One final silence, this one heavy with regret. She squeezed Sebastian’s hand, urging him to continue. “What happened?”

“The divers found Michael’s body in the morning. His legs were tangled up in some weeds, but I don’t know if that’s what caused him to go under or if it happened after the fact. For all I know, he had a cramp, or got dizzy and passed out, or...” Sebastian trailed off, and then an angry expletive left his mouth. “It was my fault he drowned. It was my fault he was at the lake. I was the one who turned my back on him in the water, and I was the one who couldn’t save him when I realized he was gone.”

Julia had done her residency in the ER, which meant she’d spoken to countless survivors, hundreds of men and women who were rushed in after a horrific accident, an accident that they survived but their friends or loved ones didn’t. She knew a case of survivor’s guilt when she saw it, but she feared that if she raised the issue, Sebastian might shut down on her.

Still, she couldn’t humor him, not about something this important. “It wasn’t your fault,” she said softly. “You weren’t responsible for Michael’s death.”

“My parents thought I was,” he muttered. “Dad openly blamed me. Mom was more subtle about it. And Michael’s death destroyed them both. He was their favorite, and after he was gone, they both sort of...checked out. My dad got meaner, colder, and I suspect he got careless in the field. I think that’s why he died, because he just didn’t give a damn anymore.”

Julia let out an unhappy sigh. “And now you believe you get the people around you killed? Because Michael drowned and your father died in combat?”

A harsh, cheerless laugh echoed in the room. “They weren’t the only ones.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It took me a long time to get over Michael’s and my father’s deaths. Throughout high school, I was friends with this kid Greg, but it wasn’t until junior year that I finally opened myself up to the guy. We were inseparable after that. Practically lived at each other’s houses, went everywhere together, double-dated all the time. And we both planned on enlisting in the army after high school. But Greg didn’t get the chance.” Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “A few weeks before graduation, we were at a party, and reckless ol’ me challenged Greg to a drinking contest.”

Julia’s heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Crap. She didn’t like where this was heading.

“And guess what I did afterward?” he said sarcastically. “I let him drive.” He laughed again, an absolutely ravaged sound. “I let him drive to his death, Doc. So that was Greg. Want to hear about Lynn? Christ, I loved Lynn. I met her when I was twenty-one, right after I got home from my first tour of duty. She was a freaking angel.”

“Sebastian—”

“We were together for a year. I wanted to marry her. I was going to ask her the night she got mowed down by a car on her way to meet me. She was supposed to work that night, but I convinced her to call in sick so we could have dinner together.”

Her heart officially broke in two.

“Oh, God,” she whispered.

“Do you get it now? Do you see? Everyone I love is destined to die.”

Before he could resist, she threw her arms around him. After a moment, his shoulders drooped and his head sagged, falling into the crook of her neck. Cursed. Yes, she supposed she understood why he’d reached that particular conclusion.

“I’ll get you killed.” His voice was muffled against her skin, thick with torment, and his naked body trembled in her arms.

“No, you won’t.” She used the tone she normally reserved for hostile patients, the one that said Don’t mess with me. I know best. “If anything, you’re the reason I’m alive, for Pete’s sake.”

He stiffened. “That’s not true.”

“Are you kidding me?” She pulled back, gripped his strong jaw and forced him to look at her. “You rescued me from those soldiers in Esperanza. You talked me out of going back to the clinic and saved me from being burned alive. You gave me shelter in Ecuador, safe passage to the States, protection from Davidson and the DoD.” Now she was the one laughing, each breathy sound ringing with disbelief. “You are the reason I’m not dead.”

His gray eyes filled with shock. “You’re in danger because of me.”

She arched one brow. “And now you’re just grasping at straws and straight-up rewriting history. I was in danger before I met you, Sebastian. I’m in danger because Kevin radioed me from Esperanza and I rushed to his rescue. You didn’t put me in this position. You have protected me from day one, and guess what? I’m still here. I’m still alive. Doesn’t that prove that you’re capable of getting close to someone without their dying?”

Sebastian looked stricken, as if he truly hadn’t considered that he might actually be responsible for her current state of alive.

The room got so quiet you could hear fifty pins drop. Julia continued to run a soothing hand over his rugged face, her other hand solidly perched on his shoulder. She wanted to offer more words of comfort, but instead she chose to say nothing, knowing that Sebastian needed the time to think, to reflect, to understand that some things were beyond his control.

As she sat there in silence, it suddenly occurred to her that Sebastian wasn’t the only one who’d gotten too close. She’d known for a while now that this thing between them had evolved into more than just sex, but she hadn’t been able to put a label on it until this very moment.

She was falling for him.

She’d spent every waking minute with him these past seven days, shared more of herself, both physically and emotionally, than she’d ever shared with another man. She’d given Sebastian Stone free rein of her body, control of her safety, access to her heart...and in the process, she’d fallen in love with him.

* * *

Sebastian was grateful as hell when the sharp knock sounded on the motel room door, indicating that their ride had arrived. He’d been fighting the need to flee ever since he’d told Julia about his past. He hated talking about all those ancient tragedies. Hated thinking about them. Normally he kept the memories locked up tight, yet he hadn’t been able to stop himself from spilling the sordid details to Julia.

He’d felt himself getting too close. His heart had been in his throat when he’d made love to her earlier. He’d felt so damn vulnerable, his emotions so close to the surface that he’d decided to remind himself what happened when he let himself love someone.

But his plan had backfired. He’d told Julia about his past, his fear, his curse, and she hadn’t batted an eye.

You’re the reason I’m alive.

Her quiet words buzzed in his head and he pushed them away as he went to answer the door. Brent had sent his aide, Paul Waverly, to deliver Sebastian and Julia to the Pentagon, and Sebastian opened the door to find a frazzled young man standing on the other side of it.

“Sergeant Stone?”

He nodded. “Waverly?”

The man nodded in return. He had pale blond hair and even paler white skin that washed out his face and lent him a ghoulish vibe, but he was very friendly and polite as he escorted them to a black sedan with tinted windows.

Julia didn’t say a word as she slid into the backseat next to Sebastian. She’d put on a pair of jeans and a loose gray sweater, and her hair was in its trademark braid, which meant that her fingers were toying with the end as usual.

He resisted the urge to put his arm around her or hold her hand, though he desperately wanted to touch her. He’d been thinking the craziest thoughts since their heart-to-heart. Crazy, terrifying, liberating thoughts that he wasn’t quite ready to vocalize, and so he kept a physical distance, needing more time to let everything settle.

The ride to the Pentagon was a short one. Paul had already arranged for a pair of visitor’s passes, and he handed each of them a navy blue lanyard with the passes affixed to the end. Sebastian shoved the lanyard around his neck, then kept a firm hand on Julia’s arm as they followed Paul to the elevators.

They found Brent Davidson in a large conference room that housed a long mahogany table, padded chairs, several telephone lines and an enormous flat screen mounted on the wall.

“Good, you’re here,” Brent boomed when they walked through the door. “Paul, get Dr. Davenport a cup of coffee and get her settled in my office. Stone, come with me. The team is about to be briefed.”

“Is this goodbye?” Julia spoke up, her voice swimming with uneasiness.

Sebastian shook his head. “I’ll come find you before we head out,” he said gruffly.

With a nod, she followed Paul out of the room, while Sebastian went with Brent. They navigated through an endless series of hallways, walked through several secure doors that required the swipe of Brent’s key card, and eventually wound up in an enormous elevator that took them to the lower levels of the massive compound.

“You did a good job handling Langley,” Brent remarked during the walk, his tone more than a little grudging. “But you just couldn’t let us handle it, huh?”

“You government folk move much too slow,” Sebastian answered with a grin. “My way allows for quicker results.”

Brent chuckled. “Nice move with the immunity agreement, by the way. Fax me a copy of it. I’m curious to see how good your forgery guy is.”

“Damn good. And you’re not getting anywhere near him.”

They turned another corner, entering a spacious corridor with bright overhead lights.

“Has Langley started talking yet?” Sebastian asked.

“Nope. He’s still hoping to save himself. Now he claims he’s got an antidote to the virus. Apparently he stole it along with the virus when he robbed D&M.”

He raised his brows. “You think he’s telling the truth?”

“Who the hell knows? This scumbag sold a biological weapon to a terrorist group. He knows there’s no way out of that, and I suspect he’ll say anything to save his own skin. We’ve got agents with him now. If there really is an antidote, they’ll get it out of him. Anyway, Langley’s not a priority at the moment. Right now our primary objective is neutralizing the cell and securing Meridian.”

Sebastian nodded. “Got it.”

The briefing that followed was one he’d been a party to numerous times before. The commanding officer was a bulky man by the name of Darius Foster. Foster had been heading up this elite Delta unit for years, and he looked less than thrilled that Sebastian would be joining them for such a sensitive operation. He seemed appeased once Brent explained Sebastian’s former training, and when aerial photographs of the ULF nest flashed on a large overhead screen, Foster turned to Sebastian first for the details he’d amassed during his recon.

It took more than an hour to plan the assault. Every last detail was discussed, every available photo scrutinized, every contingency accounted for. When Foster clapped his hands to signal the end of the meeting, the men filed out of the room and marched toward the equipment locker to gather their gear. It would be a ten-man team: Foster, Sebastian and eight other highly trained operatives who’d been working black ops for most of their careers.

Preparations were made at lightning speed. Weapons, body armor, earpieces—every piece of equipment they’d need was checked and rechecked before the team reported to the waiting chopper.

But Sebastian had promised Julia a proper goodbye and he wasn’t going anywhere until he gave it to her. He quickly scanned the men swarming the helipad, finally spotting Brent’s aide amid the crowd. “Waverly,” he called.

The blond man hurried over. “Yes?”

“Where’s Dr. Davenport? I want to speak with her before we go.”

Paul Waverly pulled out a sleek smartphone and dialed a number. “Mary, will you escort the doctor to the launch?” A second later, he hung up and said, “She’ll be here shortly.”

A wave of gratitude swept through him. “Thanks, Paul.”

The young man smiled. “Not a problem.”

Five minutes later, most of the team was in the military chopper, and Julia still hadn’t showed up. Growing worried, Sebastian glanced over at Foster, who was barking orders at the pilots. Fortunately, the senior officer didn’t seem to notice that Sebastian was still loitering on the tarmac.

When a door flew open and Julia burst out, he was overcome with relief. He met her halfway, smiling at the way her long braid was whipped around by the late-night breeze. It was just past three in the morning, and the moon sat high in the black sky, illuminating the unmistakable lines of worry creasing Julia’s mouth.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m scared,” she admitted, but her voice was so frank and steady that it made him laugh.

“You don’t sound like it,” he teased.

“Well, I feel it.” She met his gaze. “Please be careful.”

“I’m always careful.” He touched her cheek, sweeping his thumb over her silky smooth skin. “Thank you, Doc.”

She wrinkled her forehead. “For what?”

“For everything.” His voice grew hoarse. “The time we’ve spent together has been...” He trailed off, unable to find an adjective that did the rest of the sentence justice.

Then he noticed that Julia was glaring daggers at him. “Stop doing that,” she ordered. “Stop acting like we’re never going to see each other again.”

He smiled. “What should I say, then? ‘See you soon’? ‘Catch you later’?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “You’re even allowed to tell me you’re going to miss me. But anything that so much as implies this might be the last time we see each other? Forbidden.”

Laughter tickled his throat. “Yes, ma’am.”

With her chin lifted in defiance and her hazel eyes glittering with true grit, she’d never looked more beautiful.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Julia pinned him down with a stern look and said, “So now give me a hug and a kiss, and go kick some terrorist butt, Sergeant Stone.”