They were standing in the middle of an Afghanistan desert after leaving a slew of bodies in their wake, and damn if Beckett’s heart didn’t feel fuller and more alive than it had in maybe forever.
It was a simple act of kindness and appreciation from a woman he’d probably never see again. And that one thought—over all those racing through his mind—created a sense of disappointment and longing he couldn’t begin to understand.
The fact that she was now wearing his field shirt only made matters worse. It was about three sizes too big, and she looked like she was swimming in the damn thing. But that didn’t keep all sorts of uninvited fantasies from forming inside his sex-deprived mind.
His dick twitched behind the zipper of his BDUs as he imagined her wearing nothing but his shirt.
Down, boy. You’re not out of the woods…or rather, the desert…just yet. Better get your ass moving before the terrorist’s friends decide to show back up.
“Come on.” Beckett listened to his inner voice, dropping his hands back down to his weapon before stepping away from her personal space. “Let’s get you and the girls the hell out of here.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
The small snort that had bubbled up from somewhere deep in her throat sent a wave of humor and awe racing through him.From the moment he’d spotted her hiding in that literal hole-in-the-wall room to now, she continued to amaze him with her resilience and ability to overcome.
Most hostages they’d rescued—both men and women alike—usually broke down into a puddle of tears. Rightfully so, mind you. He found no shame in outwardly expressing one’s relief and life-altering gratitude. But there was just something about this hostage…thiswoman…that spoke to him on a whole other level.
Whether it was her refusal to cower down to the men who’d taken her captive, the perseverance and inner strength she’d shown when she thought he was the enemy, or the fact that the first thing she’d thought of when she realized who he really was had been her young students, he wasn’t sure. But there was one thing Beckett did know with utter certainty…
Evelynn Mitchell was one of a kind.
Staring down at her, he suddenly found himself wishing like mad they’d met under different—and muchbetter—circumstances. But the simple truth was that all the wishing in the world wouldn’t change the fact that they hadn’t.
She’d been a hostage his team had been sent to rescue. They’d done their job, and once they got her and the girls back where they belonged, that would be the last he’d see of the pretty brunette with the bouncing curls and cute-as-hell dimples.
They fell back in line behind Digger, with Apollo taking up the rear. For a while, they walked in silence, carefully traversing the rough and uneven desert terrain. Several minutes in, Evie’s sweet voice sounded again.
“Before, you said Apollo and Digger wereformerNavy SEALs. Does that mean you’re no longer in the military?”
“All three of us served. Those two went Navy, and I chose Marines.”
“But you’re not a Marine anymore?”
Apollo let out a loud, exaggerated cough, but Beckett ignored his teammate and recited the old adage, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
“Jesus, man,” Apollo scoffed as they continued moving. “You can never just let that one slide by, can you?”
Evie’s gaze turned a tad wary. “Did I…say something wrong?”
Before he could put her mind at ease, Digger grumbled his own version of the truth as he led them through the night.
“Bones always get butthurt anytime someone tries calling him aformerMarine. As if those guys are above the rest of us or something.”
Apollo chimed back in with, “To be fair, every branch always thinks they’re the best. But we all know the truth.”
Voice laced with a hefty dose of curiosity, Evie asked, “And what’s the truth?”
“The Navy’s the best there is. Although I bet our boy here could outdo any of us in a crayon-eating contest. Ain’t that right, Bones?”
With his booted feet keeping the same, steady pace and his eyes still scanning their immediate area, Beckett lifted a hand and gave his teammate the bird. From his peripheral, he could see Evie’s brunette brows arching high.
“Crayons?”
Digger grunted and Apollo began to chuckle, but Beckett ignored them and kept his focus on her.
“It’s a running joke between the branches,” he explained. “Marines eat crayons; Air Force is the Chair Force…because they don’t do anything but sit on their asses in the cool AC…SEALs are squids…” His shoulders lifted in a light shrug. “You get the idea.”
“What about the Army?”