Two Dauntless Hearts
Elle James
Two souls alone in the desert – sparks begin to fly.Stranded on the savannah, Marly Simpson begins to find Percy Taylor rather interesting. But when Marley and the plane disappear Percy must rally his SEAL team to save the only woman he could ever love.
In one of the most remote locations
A SEAL meets his match...
Stationed in Africa, SEAL “Pitbull” Percy Taylor is on leave and flying to Kenya for a safari. Until bush pilot Marly Simpson is forced to crash-land their plane on the savanna. Stranded together, the itinerant pilot and the roving SEAL find a connection neither dreamed possible. And when Marly and her plane disappear, Pitbull rallies his SEAL team...to save the only woman he could ever truly love.
MISSION: SIX
ELLE JAMES, a New York Times bestselling author, started writing when her sister challenged her to write a romance novel. She has managed a full-time job and raised three wonderful children, and she and her husband even tried ranching exotic birds (ostriches, emus and rheas). Ask her, and she’ll tell you what it’s like to go toe-to-toe with an angry three-hundred-and-fifty-pound bird! Elle loves to hear from fans at ellejames@earthlink.net or www.ellejames.com (http://www.ellejames.com).
Also by Elle James (#u09893b2c-705e-55c4-aee3-4f4a6e1c10ee)
One Intrepid SEAL
Two Dauntless Hearts
Hot Combat
Hot Target
Hot Zone
Hot Velocity
Navy SEAL Survival
Navy SEAL Captive
Navy SEAL to Die For
Navy SEAL Six Pack
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Two Dauntless Hearts
Elle James
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-07898-6
TWO DAUNTLESS HEARTS
© 2018 Mary Jernigan
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
This book is dedicated to all the wild animals in Africa that make it such an interesting and beautiful place to visit. Also, to the people who strive to keep those animals safe from poachers. They deserve a chance to live and roam free of harm.
Contents
Cover (#u80415f27-b27d-53f8-8477-aa9c37f6461a)
Back Cover Text (#ud067e5b8-d0de-5d5b-b321-d3d0d7231011)
About the Author (#u06f754fd-cb80-5752-a315-17c3b79f02d6)
Booklist (#u1ec4ebcc-3934-5a0a-821a-bed23fdc7ee9)
Title Page (#u3e03c14e-aa1f-5c25-add4-0cc33cc79c78)
Copyright (#uf018bd3c-8b17-584a-b4d6-470864d6be53)
Dedication (#u572f187a-0ec9-5a6c-86dc-75b082c53ca7)
Chapter One (#u25801496-f919-518b-a982-652e5819685b)
Chapter Two (#uc5bd34be-aad2-59d4-9f40-df0e6d10e684)
Chapter Three (#u244d9b1e-29be-5948-8470-051210b0e18a)
Chapter Four (#ub48f086f-9639-5c06-8218-4ad8719fc122)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#u09893b2c-705e-55c4-aee3-4f4a6e1c10ee)
“Nope. I’m not going.” One look at the plane they’d already flown in twice and he was out. Done. Finished. He put himself in harm’s way too often to risk it on vacation.
Percy “Pitbull” Taylor spun on his heels. He started back toward the van and the driver who’d brought six members of his SEAL team to the small landing strip outside of Camp Lemonnier on the Horn of Africa. “Twice was enough. I thought you’d snared a ride with the 160th Night Stalkers. I prefer helicopters. You know how I feel about crop dusters.”
Buck clapped a hand to his shoulder and turned him back around. “Now, don’t go getting your boxers in a twist.”
“I don’t wear boxers,” Pitbull grumbled.
“You’ve flown with Marly twice. She’s a good pilot and she knows her plane. And it’s not a crop duster. Besides, nothing bad happened on the previous two flights. What makes you think anything will happen this time?”
Pitbull frowned as he let Buck guide him toward the small bush plane they’d used in their last operation to rescue the US Secretary of Defense’s son and his hot, tough-as-nails assistant. “Yeah, but three’s a charm.” He tipped his head toward the offending aircraft. “Look at it. I swear it’s only held together by spit and duct tape.”
With a low chuckle, Buck leaned closer. “Don’t let Marly hear you badmouth her bird. She might decide to leave us behind.”
“That would be just fine with me.” Pitbull sighed. “I can’t believe you talked me into doing this.” He shook his head. “I’d have been perfectly happy waiting for our next assignment back at camp.”
“Seriously?” Diesel shot a glance over his shoulder as he walked ahead. “You have the chance of a lifetime to go on a safari in Africa, and you’d rather stay at Camp-Hot-As-Hell-in-the-Friggin’-Desert eating MREs?”
“I can’t believe the CO granted us leave here in Africa.” Harm came up from behind Pitbull, sliding his backpack over his left shoulder. “Somebody slip something into his drink last night?”
“I think he got a little pressure from the Sec Def,” Big Jake said.
“One week.” T-Mac grinned back at Pitbull and Harm from where he walked next to Diesel. “One whole week to get a real feel for the majesty of the savanna and experience all the animals we only see in zoos.” The man practically skipped toward the plane, his step quickening as if he feared the CO would show up and pull their leave request. T-Mac had a knack with animals. He planned to own a ranch when his gig with the navy was up. He talked nonstop about the horses, cattle, llamas and other exotics he planned to populate the ranch with when he got out.
That was T-Mac.
Pitbull couldn’t think past the plane standing in front of him. He much preferred helicopters. Oh, he knew they were more dangerous than planes, but he’d grown accustomed to them. The whopping sound of rotors soothed his anxieties about heights and leaving the ground. The single-engine prop job of an airplane didn’t give him the warm fuzzies. Far from it.
As they neared the plane, Pitbull’s nerves stretched. He focused on the pilot walking around the exterior, performing preflight checks.
They’d met Marly Simpson a couple weeks ago, when she’d helped them on a mission. They’d needed air transport in a hurry and had been forced to skip the call to their usual helicopter support team. She’d come through in the pinch.
But hell, they weren’t in a pinch now. Why the hell did they have to fly in that tin can?
Marly wore a khaki-colored flight suit, the outfit hugging her slender body like a glove, accentuating every curve. The woman was a no-holds-barred, tough gal who could hold her own in any conversation or situation. She flew all over the African continent in that rust bucket, transporting people and cargo to the most inaccessible, dangerous and god-awful places without batting a single pretty eyelash.
Yeah, Pitbull had noticed Marly and the fact she had a sexy, slender neck, ripe for kissing. Her long sandy-blond hair hung down to her waist when she pulled it out of the perpetual ponytail she wore, but that didn’t make the fact they were flying in a single-engine prop job to their vacation destination any more appealing to Pitbull. It helped, but not enough.
Marly completed her inspection before they reached her and turned in their direction. “Hi,” she said in her unassuming, warm voice, a smile spreading across her face. “Great to see you guys.”
Harm reached her first.
Marly held out her hand. “Harm, you’re looking well.”
“You, too.” Harm shook her hand and stood back as she greeted the rest of the team.
Diesel took her outstretched hand and pulled her into a bear hug. “Can’t tell you how glad we were when you said you could take us to Kenya.”
“My pleasure.” She smiled up at Diesel. “How’s Reese?”
He gave half a smile. “She’s in the States. She promised me a date when I got back.”
Marly’s lips pressed together. “Long-distance relationships. They can suck.”
“Yeah.” Diesel shrugged. “But what can you do? If you love someone enough, you can work it out. And I’m not ashamed to admit I’m completely smitten with Reese.”
“Never thought I’d hear those words coming out of your mouth.” Buck bumped Diesel’s shoulder with one of his own. “What changed your mind?”
Diesel laughed. “You have to ask?”
“Reese.” Big Jake pushed his way through the rest of the team and hugged Marly. “Guess Diesel found his soul mate, or some other drivel.”
Diesel balled his hands into a fist, a fierce frown pulling his brows low. “I take offense to your calling Reese drivel. And since when do you use words like drivel?”
“You know I don’t mean anything by it,” Big Jake said. “I’m just jealous.” He hooked his arm over Marly’s shoulder. “Will you be my soul mate, Marly? I like an independent badass of a woman.”
Pitbull’s fists clenched at Big Jake’s casual claim on the pretty pilot. Why he should tense when another man made a move on Marly was beyond him. It wasn’t as if he had a stake in the game or wanted her for himself. A navy SEAL’s life was no place for relationships. Besides, Marly lived and worked in Africa. Other than the occasional mission, they never saw each other. Again...not that he was interested in seeing Marly.
Although he had to admit, she wasn’t bad looking. Maybe a little less womanly than Pitbull’s usual feminine fare.
She chortled and threw a light punch into Big Jake’s belly. “Is that how you see me? As a badass?”
“Damn right,” he replied, rubbing his gut. “Any woman who’d risk flying in and out of some of the most hostile territories in Africa—that alone is downright kickass in my books. And you have a helluva right hook.”
She nodded. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Tipping her head to the side, she stared up at his six-foot-four-inch frame and narrowed her eyes. “As for being your soul mate, I’ll have to think about it.” She unhooked Big Jake’s arm from around her shoulders and turned to the others. “You can stow your bags in the luggage compartment or behind the back seat inside the plane.”
While Diesel, Big Jake, Harm, Buck and T-Mac stowed their gear, Marly turned to Pitbull. “What about you?”
Pitbull’s pulse quickened and his brain scrambled at her direct stare. Shit. What was it about this woman that tied him in knots? He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “What about me?”
“Are you looking for a soul mate?” Marly’s brows rose.
“Oh, hell no,” he answered. “What would I do with a soul mate when I’m never in one place long enough to grow roots?”
“Exactly.” Marly nodded toward the plane. “Besides, I have my soul mate.” She patted the plane’s fuselage. “He doesn’t argue with me much, sweeps me off my feet and carries me anywhere I want to go.”
Pitbull frowned. “Your plane?”
Marly shrugged. “I don’t have to worry about him cheating on me.”
“Until another pilot comes along,” Pitbull pointed out.
“I don’t have to cook for him,” Marly continued.
“You have to feed it aviation fuel, which can’t be cheap,” Pitbull countered.
“He doesn’t care what I wear or whether I put on makeup.”
“You got me there.” Pitbull’s lips twitched for a second. He stared at Marly’s fresh, clean face and sparkling blue-gray eyes. “But seriously, you don’t need makeup.”
Marly’s cheeks filled with a soft pink color, giving her a more feminine look. “Thanks. And for that, you win the prize.”
Pitbull’s lips curled into a wry grin. “What prize?”
Marly smiled. “Copilot’s seat.” Before Pitbull could protest, she clapped her hands sharply and faced the men standing around the plane. “If you’re ready, we can get this show on the road.”
“But—” Pitbull started.
Buck pounded Pitbull’s back. “Congratulations, you lucky dog. You’ll have the best seat on the bus.”
“If you like it so much, you take it.” Pitbull waved a hand toward the plane.
“I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of such a prime location.” Buck winked at Marly. “I’m sure the pilot will take very good care of you.”
“You know damn good and well how I feel about this plane,” Pitbull grumbled low enough for Buck to hear without clueing Marly in on their earlier discussion.
Buck cupped the back of his ear. “What’s that you say?” His brows rose high, his lips curling into a devilish grin. “You were going to tell Marly how you felt about her pride and joy?” He whacked Pitbull in the back hard enough to send him staggering forward. “Go ahead. Tell her how much you love flying in fixed-wing aircraft.” The bastard crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
Marly stared at Pitbull, another smile tugging at her lips.
Caught between Buck’s taunts and Marly’s expectant stare, he did the only thing he could. He lied. “I can’t wait to ride shotgun.”
Marly’s eyes narrowed briefly. If he hadn’t been watching so closely, he would have missed it. But then her face cleared and she grinned. “Great. I’ll brief you on how to land this baby in case something happens to me.”
Pitbull shot a horrified glance her direction. He ran his gaze from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. “Holy shit, Marly. You aren’t expecting to croak while flying, are you?”
She laughed, a throaty, surprisingly sexy sound that caught and held Pitbull’s attention, despite her random threat of dying while in flight. His heartbeat ratcheted up and his groin tightened. What the hell? Marly wasn’t the kind of woman he usually found attractive. He went for dark-haired, curvy women who knew how to flirt and didn’t expect anything past a one-night stand.
Marly’s face lit and her eyes shone. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m as healthy as a horse.”
His heart hammering against his ribs, Pitbull forgot to be angry or disconcerted about having to ride in the cockpit of the aircraft. For that moment, he was lost in Marly’s laughter and smile.
Damn. This couldn’t be good.
He tore his gaze from her fresh face and happy smile to watch, without really “seeing,” as his teammates climbed aboard the aircraft and settled into their seats.
“If you’re ready,” Marly said beside him and touched his arm. “I’ll close the door behind us. Really, I’m fine. I won’t pass out and die during our flight.” She held up her hand. “Scout’s honor.”
He frowned. “I’m holding you to that promise. And I doubt seriously you were ever a Scout.” Then he ascended the steps into the tiny plane. Hunkering low to keep from bumping his head, he passed down the aisle and settled into the copilot’s place on the right.
Taking full responsibility for the aircraft, Marly secured the door behind her and joined him, resting a hand on his shoulder as she lowered herself into her seat.
Where her hand had been remained warm long after she removed it. If he were honest with himself, he’d own up to the tingling sensation sizzling through his body at her touch. Obviously he’d been too long without a woman in his bed. But now was not the time to be thinking of such a thing.
Marly was the pilot, nothing more.
“Buckle up, buttercup,” Marly said, fastening her safety straps. Over her shoulder, she told the others, “As you all well know, this isn’t your usual jetliner flight. I’ll be your pilot, or rather, copilot—with Pitbull’s assistance—and flight attendant. Please fasten your seat belts and keep them fastened until we land. There will be no beverages served on this flight, and there is no lavatory.” She gave the guys in the back a wicked grin. “If you should need to relieve yourself...hold it until we make our refueling stop halfway there.”
“Well, damn,” Buck complained. “I wanted a beer.”
T-Mac followed with, “And I was really looking forward to the peanuts.”
Big Jake waved a dismissive hand. “Ignore the whiners. We’re all set. Let ’er rip.”
“And by ‘let ’er rip,’ he means make a smooth takeoff and an even smoother landing,” Pitbull mumbled.
“I heard that.” Marly’s pretty pink lips twisted. She slapped a headset against his chest. “Wear these so you know what’s going on.”
He slipped the headset over his ears and plugged the wires into the communications ports. “Do I want to know what’s going on?”
She leaned back and gave him an assessing stare. “Pitbull, are you telling me you’re afraid of a little ol’ plane ride?” Her brows rose into the hair swooping down over her brow.
Buck leaned forward. “Bingo! Give the lady a prize.”
Marly shook her head. “You have nothing to worry about. I have over three thousand hours flying this plane alone, and more in other types of aircraft. I started flying at thirteen, over fifteen years ago. I think I can handle it.” She checked the instrument panel, flicked several switches and started the engine.
As the propeller spun into action, Pitbull’s gut clenched.
“Relax. We’ll be there before you know it,” Marly said into the mic.
Her voice filled the earphones of his headset, reassuring Pitbull when he needed it most.
Marly spoke to the nearby air traffic controller, got her instructions and started the plane taxiing toward the runway. “With all you go through as a navy SEAL, I can’t believe you’re afraid of flying.”
“I’m not afraid of flying,” Pitbull said through clenched teeth, his fingers digging into the armrest at his side. “I’m afraid of crashing.”
“But you fly in helicopters all the time,” Marly reasoned, pushing the throttle forward. The aircraft gained speed as it barreled down the runway.
“I do it as part of the job.” Pitbull tensed, praying the runway was long enough. “And helicopters don’t eat up thousands of feet of runway to take off.”
Still grinning, Marly kept her gaze on the runway ahead. “Yeah, but when the propeller stops, helicopters drop like a rock to the earth. Airplanes, on the other hand, can glide for miles.” Just as they neared the end of the runway, the plane left the ground, the wings seesawing slightly as they lifted the craft into the air.
Pitbull leaned back, willing the plane to continue its climb. “Planes can glide for miles, but they still need thousands of feet of runway to land. Helicopters don’t. Besides, I’m used to flying in helicopters, not planes.”
Her hands steady on the yoke, Marly handled the aircraft like the expert she was. “Stick with me and I’ll have you singing a different tune.”
Pitbull shot a glance her way, his groin tightening despite the knot in his gut. He’d like to stick with Marly long enough to get to know her lithe body and the taste of her pink lips. The woman was sexy when she was all into her element of flying.
Pitbull wished he could enjoy the view more. And he might if he could relax, like she said, and enjoy the ride. But this wasn’t Pitbull’s preferred method of transport. It would take a whole lot more time in the craft for him to get even remotely comfortable. In the meantime, he’d suffer through, for the sake of the team.
* * *
MARLY ALMOST FELT sorry for Pitbull. Once she was over five hundred feet in the air, she shot a glance his way.
The man was as tense as a drawn bowstring. His knuckles were white where they curled around the armrest, and he stared through the front windshield unblinkingly.
She couldn’t talk him down from his panic. She’d already tried. The best she could do was to land the plane safely and smoothly.
Marly had to admit Pitbull had been the one to catch her eye among the navy SEAL team members. His hard-packed body, square jaw and intense expression made her heart flutter, an occurrence she hadn’t experienced in her twenty-nine years. Until she’d met the SEAL team and Pitbull.
Knowing he had a deep fear of fixed-wing aircraft didn’t diminish his attraction in the least. It actually increased it in Marly’s eyes. It proved he wasn’t perfect, like she’d originally thought. After her first encounter with the team, she’d read up on the elite units of navy SEALs and what it took to become one. And wow! This man sitting beside her had braved some of the worst conditions and treatment, muscled through and had become one of America’s best.
From what she’d learned from others among the team, they’d deployed multiple times to the Middle East, Africa and other places around the world on deadly missions. Pitbull couldn’t be afraid of much, if he strode headlong into danger.
Marly had waded into dangerous situations on more than one occasion and been scared she wouldn’t emerge alive. But somehow, she had. Many times she’d considered moving back to the States and setting up a charter service there, but her mother still worked in the small villages of Africa, helping serve the poor and sick. Until her mother left Africa, she figured she might as well stay. Marly didn’t have friends or family in Virginia, where she was born. Why go back?
She glanced over at the man in the seat beside her. Perhaps if she had someone to go home to...
Not that Pitbull was that someone. Marly had grown up independent, running wild in the villages where her mother and father had worked. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle a full-time relationship. Freedom was everything to her.
And sometimes, with that freedom came loneliness.
Time passed. Marly made the scheduled stop to refuel at a small airfield halfway to their destination in northern Kenya. Her landing was so soft, she could have been kissing the ground. It didn’t matter—Pitbull had a death grip on the armrest anyway.
The men clambered out, made their visit to the latrine and hurried back as the attendant completed the refueling. Pitbull offered to let someone else sit in the copilot’s seat, but there were no takers.
Marly hid a smile. She didn’t want someone else riding shotgun. She liked the view inside the cockpit.
Her takeoff was a little less graceful as she hit a couple pockets of air that tipped the wings slightly, making the plane wobble on the ascent. Marly sighed. She couldn’t win every time.
Over the next hour, the color slowly returned to Pitbull’s knuckles as he loosened his grip on the armrest.
Marly glanced at the savanna ahead and spotted some of Africa’s finest wildlife. She turned her head toward the rear of the plane. “If you look out to the southwest, you’ll see herds of water buffalo and zebras.”
The men in the seats behind her leaned forward and peered through the cabin windows.
Pitbull sat forward and craned his neck, scanning the land below.
“If you look carefully, I’ll bet you can see a pride of lions lurking nearby.” Marly tipped the nose of the plane downward.
Pitbull sat back, his grip tightening again on the armrest. “What are you doing?” he said, his voice clipped, his lips pulled back into a tight line.
“It’s okay,” Marly said. “I’m getting a little lower so you can see the animals.”
“Isn’t that what the safari is for?” Pitbull asked.
“Yes, but you can’t see the vastness of the herd from the ground like you can from the air.”
Buck laid a hand on Pitbull’s shoulder. “Stop worrying and start drinking in this amazing view.”
Pitbull closed his eyes briefly, sucked in a deep breath and let it out before nodding and reopening his eyes. “You’re right. I need to stop worrying. This plane will get us there.”
“And the excellent pilot,” Buck added.
Marly shot a grateful smile over her shoulder. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
And then, without warning, the engine sputtered, coughed and died.
Marly set the plane altitude for the best glide speed and turned her focus to the control panel. Her experience and training kicked in.
“What’s happening?” Pitbull’s voice said into her ear.
She didn’t respond, needing every second of her attention on safely landing the disabled plane. Because they were so low already, Marly mentally went through an abbreviated emergency checklist and lowered the landing gear, all while scanning the surroundings for a suitable place to land.
Marly keyed her mic. “Mayday, mayday, mayday.”
“Holy hell,” Pitbull whispered beside her.
She’d promised to keep him safe on this flight, probably jinxing them all in the process. “Bravo-bravo-niner-eight-niner, experiencing engine failure. Bearing down on the savanna twenty miles north of the All Things Wild Safari & Resort, seven souls on board.”
The air traffic controller acknowledged her distress call and offered to send a rescue crew to the location of their transponder.
Marly eased back on the yoke, trading airspeed for altitude, aiming the plane in the direction of the longest, flattest spot on the huge field. Unfortunately, it was occupied by a herd of zebras and water buffalos.
She couldn’t take her gaze off the ground ahead, so she raised her voice loud enough that the men in the rear could hear. “Gentlemen, brace yourselves for a rough landing.”
Chapter Two (#u09893b2c-705e-55c4-aee3-4f4a6e1c10ee)
When the engine cut out, Pitbull’s heart slammed against his ribs and pulsed through his veins until Marly gave the warning to brace for landing. Then, as with all dangerous assignments, he drew into himself and focused on the mission.
In this case, it was to survive and get everyone out of what would surely be burning wreckage, if they were lucky enough to be alive upon landing.
“Move, damn you,” Marly muttered into the mic, her concentration on the zebras trotting across the field in front of the descending plane. “Move.”
The closer the plane grew to the herd, the faster they ran.
Pitbull leaned forward, his breath lodged in his throat, counting the seconds until they ran over the black-and-white-striped creatures. Just when he thought they’d hit one of the animals with the landing gear, the herd split, shooting out to each side of the aircraft and far enough away that the wings didn’t touch them.
The plane floated toward the earth, slowing, slowing, slowing...
A horn sounded.
“What’s that?” Pitbull demanded, searching the interior and exterior of the plane.
“Stall warning. Relax,” Marly said through gritted teeth. “I’ve got this.” She set the plane down on the savanna, the wheels kissing the earth. Once the nose wheel was down, they bounced across the uneven terrain.
By the time the plane came to a halt, Pitbull was convinced he’d rattled away every tooth in his mouth. But they were alive, the plane was intact and no fire ensued. He let go of the breath he’d been holding and leaned back in his seat.
“Wow, Marly,” Buck said from the rear. “That was amazing.”
Marly sat for a moment, staring at the departing herds, her lips pressed tightly together. Then she nodded, as if pulling herself back to the present, and peeled her fingers from the yoke. She turned with a tight smile and faced the men in the back. “Well, you wanted a safari. I didn’t see any reason to wait.” She held up her hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t charge you extra for the exciting landing.”
Harm shook his head. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” She pushed out of her seat and waded through the team to the door. Once she’d lowered the steps, she hurried to the ground and around to the engine compartment.
The team piled out, leaving Pitbull to exit the aircraft last.
He fought the urge to drop to his knees and kiss the ground. If his legs were a little wobbly, he couldn’t help it. Though Marly had done an excellent job landing the plane among a herd of zebras, she could just as easily have crashed and killed every last one of them.
The water buffalo and zebras stopped running and went back to grazing, as though it were an everyday occurrence to be disturbed by landing airplanes.
Pitbull trailed behind the others as they followed Marly.
“Need a hand?” T-Mac asked.
Marly lifted the lid to the engine compartment. “Know anything about airplanes?”
T-Mac shrugged. “No, but I’m handy with a variety of engines and computer issues.”
“You’re welcome to look over my shoulder.” Marly opened the luggage compartment and started tossing backpacks and duffel bags to the ground. “I have a ladder in here somewhere.” Once she’d dumped everything else out of the way, she said, “There it is.” She yanked a small ladder out and stood it beside the plane. “Unlike all of you, I’m not six feet tall.” She climbed up and leaned over the engine.
“I’ve had engines quit in my car before due to fuel pump issues,” T-Mac offered.
“The fuel pump was replaced during the last annual maintenance on this plane,” Marly said. “But that doesn’t mean it didn’t go bad since then.” She looked down at Pitbull. “There’s a tool bag behind the back seat inside the plane. Could you get it for me?”
Pitbull nodded and hurried to comply. When he returned, Marly and T-Mac had their heads together, staring into the engine.
A flush of heat washed over Pitbull. He fought the urge to insinuate himself between the two. Hell, they were within kissing distance. Instead, Pitbull cleared his throat and shoved the tool kit between Marly and T-Mac. “Perhaps this will help.”
T-Mac leaned back.
Marly didn’t take the bag. Instead, she stared into the engine. “Could you hand me a crescent wrench, please?”
Pitbull bit back a retort, unzipped the bag and gave her what she asked for.
She reached into the engine with the wrench and jerked back her hand. “Damn. You’d think it would have cooled down by now.”
“Here, let me see.” T-Mac took her arm and inspected the inside of her wrist.
“I’ll be all right.” Marly tugged her hand free and bent over the engine again. A few minutes later, she pulled out a part, shaking her head. “Like you said, it’s the fuel pump. Looks like it burned up.” She handed him the part and leaned over the engine. “Thankfully, it’s the only thing burned up. A new part and this plane will be in the air again.” She straightened and grimaced. “It’ll be a rough takeoff, but I’ve been in worse places.”
“Speaking of being in worse places.” Harm stepped up beside Pitbull. “How are we getting out of here?”
“I put in a call to the ATC. He said he’d send out a rescue crew.” Marly closed the engine compartment and started to step down from the ladder.
Pitbull reached out and took her hand to steady her. When she laid hers in his, he felt the tingle of electricity race up his arm and spread across his chest. He didn’t have time to analyze the feeling before she slipped on the last rung of the latter and pitched forward, slamming into his chest.
Pitbull went down, landing hard on his back, but cushioning Marly’s fall. She landed on his chest, her hands on the ground on either side of his arms.
“Sorry,” she said and scrambled to get off him. In the process, she kneed him in the groin.
Pain shot through him, wiping out the heat of the electricity her touch had generated. Pitbull doubled up, swallowing hard on the groan rising up his throat.
“I’m sorry,” Marly repeated. As she straightened and brushed the dirt off her hands, her cheeks flamed red. She held out her hand to Pitbull.
“I’m all right,” he said through clenched teeth, waving away her efforts. For a long moment, he lay still, willing the pain to go away.
“Well, damn.” Marly knelt beside him and started to reach for the parts still pulsing with pain. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
He let go of his package and grabbed her wrist to keep her from touching him down there. Hell, if she didn’t leave his parts alone, it wouldn’t be long before he embarrassed himself in an entirely different way, pain be damned.
Buck laughed out loud. “Can’t believe you let a girl clock your nads, dude.” He nodded to Big Jake. “You get one side, I’ll get the other.”
“I’ll get up when I’m ready,” Pitbull insisted.
“You’re ready,” Big Jake announced. With one of his buddies on either side of him, Pitbull was brought to his feet. Not that he was quite ready. He did his best to stand up straight, thankful the pain faded with each breath.
Marly stared across the grassy plains, the color still high in her cheeks. “Shouldn’t be too long. The ATC would have called someone close to our location. We never know what we’re going to get.” She entered the plane and walked from front to rear.
“Well, we might as well enjoy being this up close and personal with the African natives.” Diesel walked past the tip of a wing and stared out over the savanna. “I don’t think I’ve actually seen a water buffalo or zebra from this close.”
“You’re not as close as you’ll be on the safari.” Marly pulled a rag out of her back pocket and wiped the grease off her fingers.
“May I?” Pitbull held out his hand for the rag.
Marly’s brows drew together, and she ran her gaze over him as she handed him the towel.
His lips quirked upward. “Don’t be so suspicious.” He leaned toward her and wiped a smudge of grease from her jaw. “You missed a spot.”
Her cheeks blossomed with color. “Thank you.” She swiped the rag from his hands and stuffed it back into her pocket before turning to the others. “We’re not too far from the resort. If we’re lucky, we won’t have to wait more than an hour before someone shows up to take us there.”
“An hour?” Buck asked.
Marly shrugged. “You never know who or how they will arrive. I’m assuming in a ground vehicle.”
“I’d give my left nut for a whirly bird,” Pitbull muttered. “We wouldn’t be in this situation if we’d started out in a helicopter.”
Marly rounded on Pitbull, eyes blazing, and jabbed her finger into Pitbull’s chest. “If we’d been in a helicopter and the fuel pump went out, those vultures would be picking our bones clean.” She redirected her pointer finger to a flock of vultures riding the air currents several hundred yards away.
Pitbull held up his hands. “Okay, okay. You made your point.”
“Damn right I did. I’d like to see your helicopter pilots land as smoothly without an engine.”
Buck draped an arm over Marly’s shoulders. “You were awesome.” He shot a glare at Pitbull. “We’re alive, aren’t we?”
Pitbull returned his buddy’s glare and then nodded, letting the tension seep out of his body. “You’re right.” He held out his hand to Marly. “You did great landing the plane.”
She stared at it for a moment, but didn’t take it.
Pitbull dropped his arm, somewhat relieved. The last time she’d touched him with her hand, electricity had ricocheted throughout his body. He’d be better off enforcing a hands-off policy with Marly.
“I thought we were going to have zebra stew for dinner, as close as we came to landing on them,” Harm said. “How did you know they’d get out of the way in time?”
Marly ducked from beneath Buck’s arm. “I didn’t. That was pure luck. Landing without damaging the plane...” She straightened her shoulders and flung back her ponytail. “That was all me.”
It was true—Pitbull had been in the copilot’s seat the whole way down. Marly had done a hell of a job piloting the craft to the ground among a herd of zebras and on bumpy terrain. “I guess I should thank you. But all I can think about is the fact you broke your promise.”
She shook her head. “No I didn’t.”
“You said you wouldn’t crash the plane,” he told her.
“No, I said I wouldn’t pass out while flying.” She winked. “Those are two completely different things. And I didn’t crash the plane.”
Pitbull waved his hand toward the aircraft. “It’s not flying.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “But it will, once I get the replacement part.”
“How soon will that be?” Pitbull panned the surrounding savanna. “There aren’t any aviation superstores anywhere nearby. And you can’t seriously think you can take off on this field.”
“I’m sure I can get a replacement part within a couple of days. And when I can find a smooth enough stretch, long enough to build up some speed, I can get this bird off the ground.” She shook her head, a disgusted look on her face. “What do you know about avionics, anyway?”
Marly walked several yards away and stood staring at the animals in the distance, her back to the men. The band holding her ponytail had slipped loose. Strands of silky, sandy-blond hair caught in the breeze.
Pitbull couldn’t tear his gaze off her slim, athletic figure encased in the form-hugging flight suit.
Buck leaned close to his friend and whispered, “You’re a knucklehead.”
“What’s your point?” Pitbull snapped back, too engaged in his view of Marly to care what Buck had to say.
“She landed the plane,” Buck said.
T-Mac added, “That’s right. We’re alive. You should be down on your knees, groveling at her feet.”
His teammates were right. What was it about Marly that got Pitbull all fired up? She was smart and sexy and knew her way around her airplane. Why couldn’t he leave her alone?
She turned, a smile on her face.
That smile hit him square in the chest like a round from a .55-caliber machine gun. He almost staggered back a few steps with the impact.
“Here comes our rescue team.” Marly pointed to a cloud of dust rising from the grass, heading straight for them.
The men gathered around Marly, like cowboys circling their wagons.
“Are you sure that’s our rescue team?” Pitbull asked.
“Who else would be out in the middle of nowhere?” Marly’s brows dipped. “Seriously, the ATC had our coordinates from the transponder. They had to have passed them on to whoever they called.”
“We’ve seen some of the welcoming committees here in Africa,” Harm said, squinting at the oncoming vehicle.
“If you’re worried, wait behind me.” Marly unzipped her flight suit to reveal a pink bra beneath and a shoulder holster. She pulled out a nine-millimeter handgun.
The team all backed up several steps, every man raising his hands.
“Whoa there, Marly,” Buck said. “Do you know how to use that thing?”
She glared at him. “Do you think I’d carry it if I didn’t?”
Buck shrugged. “Some women do.”
“I’d be a fool to fly around this country unarmed, now, wouldn’t I?” She nodded toward the vehicle now visible through the cloud of dust. “Looks like a safari wagon.”
“And it’s not empty.” Pitbull dove for his backpack, unearthed the M4A1 he’d stashed inside and quickly assembled the main parts.
“Hold your fire, Zippy,” Marly said. “They wouldn’t come out without a contingent of armed men. The animals can cause enough damage, but the poachers and warring rebels are even more dangerous. Wait and see.”
“If we wait too long, we could all be dead.” Pitbull took up a position in the shadow of the airplane and lined up his sights with the driver of the oncoming truck.
“I’m with Pitbull.” Harm reached for his backpack and pulled out a .45-caliber handgun.
The other four men did the same. Soon, everyone waiting at the plane was armed and ready for whatever was headed their way.
The big truck pulled to a lumbering stop several yards away from the plane.
A woman appeared out of the cloud of dust, wearing tall leather riding boots, khaki slacks tucked into the top of the boots and a matching khaki shirt, unbuttoned to reveal an ample amount of cleavage. She swept a wide-brimmed safari hat from her head and shook out auburn curls. “We’re here to help.”
Buck let out a long, low whistle. “Wow.”
She was followed by three dark-skinned men dressed in khaki uniforms and carrying machine guns.
Pitbull aimed for the first one, keeping all three in his peripheral vision. If any one of them made a move, he’d take them down.
“Hey, don’t shoot!” a sultry voice called out. “We’re really here to help.”
Chapter Three (#u09893b2c-705e-55c4-aee3-4f4a6e1c10ee)
Marly shoved her pistol back into the holster beneath her flight suit and stepped forward, holding out her hand to the woman who came to a halt in front of her. “Marly Simpson. I’m the pilot. You got here fast.”
The other woman was shorter, curvier and stunningly beautiful. Next to her, Marly felt like the ugly stepsister to Cinderella. She shoved aside the thought and shook the woman’s hand.
“Talia Montclair. Nice to meet you.” She shook Marly’s hand with a firm grip and turned to the others. “I’m from All Things Wild Safari & Resort. We got a call from the local police to come pick up the passengers and crew from an aircraft since it went down closest to our operations.” She stared around at the others. “Anyone badly hurt? I’m also a trained paramedic.”
Buck lifted his hand.
Talia’s brows rose. “What’s the nature of your injury?”
He pressed the hand to his chest. “You just stole my heart.”
Talia planted her hands on her hips, her lips quirking on the corners. “Seriously, was anyone injured in the landing?”
“No.” Pitbull stepped out from the shadows and lowered his rifle. “Thanks to our pilot.” He glanced at Marly with a slight nod and then held out his hand to Talia. “Percy Taylor.”
Marly chuckled softly. Finally, the man acknowledged her skill in landing the plane. But did he have to hold Talia’s grip for so long?
“That’s his real name, but we call him Pitbull.” Buck bumped Pitbull out of the way and held out his hand to the safari representative. “Graham Buckner. But you can call me Buck.”
Talia grinned. “Percy, Graham, nice to meet you.” She faced the other four men. “I’m assuming the rest of you are Dalton, Harmon, Trace and Jake?” Her smile spread wider.
They nodded as one.
“Good.” She clapped her hands together. “My safari adventurers. And I see you couldn’t wait to get started and decided to land in the middle of our first stop for tomorrow.” She waved her hand toward the herd. “Welcome to Kenya. Like what you see so far?”
Marly’s lips thinned. For the most part, the men weren’t looking at the herds of wild animals. Instead, they were drooling over their safari guide, Talia.
Heat built in Marly’s gut. And not the good lusty kind. More the jealous, burning, I-can’t-compete-with-that kind. She glanced down at her flight suit that did little to disguise her lack of a voluptuous figure. She was too tall and lanky to be considered feminine. Not that it had bothered her. Until now.
She dared a glance at Pitbull. She was pleased to see he wasn’t looking at Talia.
Instead, his gaze was on Talia’s guards.
Talia must have noticed their regard. “Don’t let my men scare you. We have to come armed.” She nodded toward the SEALs’ weapons. “And I’m glad to see you brought your own firepower. We run into all kinds of four-and two-legged aggressors out here. It pays to be prepared.” Talia glanced toward the plane, her eyes narrowing. “Speaking of which, we might want to push the plane into the tree line.”
Marly glanced around the open field, searching for a stand of trees large enough to park the plane beneath. “The engine isn’t working.”
Talia smiled. “I’m sure you can get some old-fashioned brawn to help get it where you want it to go. I wouldn’t leave it out in the open. You never know what might happen if it’s left alone.”
Familiar with the nature of the inhabitants of the savannas and jungles of Africa, Marly agreed. Gangs of miscreants, poachers and rebels would have the plane stripped of anything salvageable in no time.
She located a copse of trees three hundred yards to her south. “If we could get it to that stand of trees, I’d feel better about leaving it.”
Pitbull stepped forward. “Let us handle it.”
The six SEALs and the three guards positioned themselves around the aircraft at Marly’s direction and began pushing the plane across the bumpy terrain and toward the trees.
Talia followed in the truck.
Once they had the plane positioned between the trees, Talia hauled out a large bundle from the back of the truck and dropped it on the ground. “You can use this camouflage netting to conceal the plane. Trust me, I wouldn’t want anyone to find it. We’ve had some near misses with a local rebel group. The cowards try to get our people alone. Then they attack and steal whatever they might sell on the black market. They’d steal this plane piece by piece if they found it.”
“Should I stay with the plane until the part comes?” Marly asked.
“I think it will be okay as long as you conceal it well enough.”
“Great,” Marly said, grabbing a corner of the netting.
The others took up the other ends and dragged the net over the nose and wings, and finally over the tail.
When they had secured the ends to the ground using sticks and rocks, Marly stood back and examined the effect. From a distance, it would blend into the shadows of the trees.
Talia waved toward the truck. “We can fit two inside—me and one other—and the rest in the back. I’ll let you figure out who goes where.”
Pitbull hurried to the front of the vehicle and opened the passenger seat. “Marly,” he barked like a command.
Marly, unused to having men open doors for her, glanced toward the rear of the truck. “I can ride in the back. You guys are the clients.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Buck hooked her arm, marched her to the passenger side and handed her off to Pitbull. “You’ll ride up front. We’re used to eating dust.”
“So am I,” Marly argued.
Pitbull leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Are you always this disagreeable?”
She frowned at him. “Sometimes I’m even more so.”
Pitbull gripped her around the waist and lifted her up to the seat, ending the argument.
Marly sat down hard, shocked that he’d manhandled her so easily. She’d always considered herself to be too big to be girly. But Pitbull had just proven he was strong enough to sweep this independent, no-nonsense woman off her feet.
Her heart fluttered and her cheeks heated. Where his hands had clenched around her waist still tingled with awareness. She clamped her mouth shut and stared forward, refusing to look back at the man who’d set her blood speeding through her veins and pooling low in her belly.
What was wrong with her? This man was a US Navy SEAL. He probably had a woman in every port. Even if he didn’t, his job had him traveling the world at the drop of a hat. Nothing could ever come of a relationship with such a man.
Nothing.
* * *
PITBULL DIDN’T REGRET ending the argument with Marly by lifting her into the truck. He did regret the lingering electrical current running up his arms and down to his groin. Focus, man. Focus.
They were in Kenya for only a week. Let’s go on a safari, his teammates had said. It’ll be fun, they’d assured him. Nothing was fun about the raging lust spinning through his body for the woman he’d just touched, not when he knew it wouldn’t go anywhere. He wouldn’t be able to act on it. Thankfully, Marly would be gone as soon as she had her fuel pump. Hopefully that would be by the end of the day. Then he could concentrate on having a good time seeing all the animals and enjoying the resort. And maybe they could convince the 160th to send a helicopter out to retrieve them. They could call it a training mission to extricate military personnel from a hostile environment.
He climbed into the back of the truck with the other members of his team and held on tight. The trip to the resort was across the savanna and into a forest. An hour later, they pulled up to a large, rambling house made of wood and stone. The house was surrounded by smaller huts with a similar wood-and-stone design—individual cottages Pitbull guessed were options for their guests.
Talia parked the truck in front of the main house and climbed down.
“I have each of you in your own bungalow, but meals will be in the main house dining room,” Talia said. “Breakfast and lunch are casual. Dinner is formal. Please dress accordingly. Follow me, if you will.” She entered the house, leaving the door open behind her for them to follow.
The main house had a grand entrance with staircases on each side curving up to the second floor. Shiny mahogany handrails and furniture gave the rooms elegance in a rugged land of wild animals and dangerous people.
“The dining room is to your left. Normally I rent out the guest rooms, but they are unoccupied at the present time. I thought you would prefer your own bungalows while you are with us at All Things Wild Resort. You’re welcome to take advantage of the living areas and the sitting room on the main floor. At the back of the house is a game room with a pool table and a bar. I’ll leave you to explore for yourself while I get Miss Simpson situated and gather the keys to your bungalows.”
“I’m up for a round of pool.” T-Mac started for the rear of the house. “Anyone else?”
Buck pushed past the others and followed T-Mac. “Count me in.”
“I could go for a beer,” Harm said.
“Me, too,” Diesel agreed. “Maybe two.”
“You’re welcome to the beer, wine and the liquor cabinet. It’s all included in the price of the week,” Talia informed them.
Big Jake laughed. “You might regret telling them that.”
“No worries. We have a well-equipped bar, and the wines are from local vineyards.” Talia motioned for Marly to follow her. “I have a satellite phone in the study, if you’d like to call someone about fixing your plane.”
“Thank you.” Marly followed Talia into a beautifully appointed study. The walls were lined with built-in bookshelves. A massive mahogany desk graced one end of the room. The room had a masculine scent of books and wood.
Talia crossed to the desk and lifted a portable satellite phone. She handed the device to Marly and then turned to a computer monitor, bringing up a browser. “Help yourself to the internet. We do most of our communications via satellite. Unfortunately, we’re too remote for most cable or electric companies to keep up with those pesky lines.”
Marly thanked Talia, sat down at the computer and pulled up an internet browser to locate a replacement for the fuel pump. An hour later, she had a man on the phone with her answer. Not the one she wanted to hear, however.
“Five days?” Marly shook her head, despite that the guy on the other end of the communication couldn’t actually see her face as she spoke. “You can’t get it to me any sooner?”
The man answered, “It’s the best I can do. Take it or leave it.”
Marly drew in a deep breath and let it go. “I’ll take it. Thank you.”
She stood and stretched. What now? She hadn’t come prepared to be here for almost a week.
Talia poked her head through the open door of the study. “Find your part?”
Marly nodded and grimaced.
“Let me guess.” Talia tipped her head to the side. “It’ll be a week before they can get it to you.”
Marly laughed. “You know how things work in these parts, I take it.”
“Yes, indeed.” Talia crossed her arms over her ample chest and leaned against the door frame. “The kitchen stove quit working once when I had the resort booked solid. It took over a month to get a replacement. My chef and I had to cook everything on the outdoor grill, rain or shine. We were not amused.”
“Thankfully, it’ll only take five days, not a month. But I didn’t come prepared to stay overnight, much less five days.”
“No worries. I can loan you clothes to last you, and we have extra toiletries for guests who’ve forgotten items.” Talia touched her arm. “I can even cut you a deal on a room for the five days, since we’re not full at this time.”
“Thank you for the room offer.” Marly bit her bottom lip. “Though I’m not sure your clothes will fit.”
Talia ran her glance from Marly’s head to her toes. “You’re taller, so the full-length pants won’t fit, but I have some formal dresses that will be ankle-length on you and shorts and capris you might fit into. We’ll make it work.”
“Dresses?” Marly cringed inwardly. “I haven’t worn a dress since I was in grade school.”
Talia’s brows rose. “Darling, you’ll have to around here, if you want dinner.” She spun toward the door. “And I’ll bet you have some great legs hiding under that flight suit. Follow me. You’ll be staying in one of the upstairs suites inside the house. And I’ll get you fixed up with clothes. If not from my wardrobe, well, people have left articles of clothing over the years. They’ve come in handy when luggage doesn’t arrive with the guests.”
Marly swallowed her groan. She liked her own clothes. They fit her and she felt like herself in them. Beggars can’t be choosers, she reminded herself. She just hoped the tops Talia offered didn’t hang on her chest, making her appear to be an underdeveloped teenager.
Again. Beggars can’t be choosers.
* * *
TALIA HAD SHOWN Pitbull and the other members of his team to their individual bungalows while Marly made her calls to locate the spare part she needed to get her plane back up in the air.
Pitbull welcomed the time away from Marly. Since they’d left that morning, he couldn’t get his mind off the feisty pilot. After their last mission, he hadn’t expected to see her ever again. Even then, he’d felt that spark of something, if not between them, then at least on his side. He didn’t much care for women who wore a lot of makeup or ratted their hair to achieve bigger, brassier hairstyles. He liked that Marly was natural and that she didn’t apologize for it.
He tossed his backpack on the bed, tugged his T-shirt off and headed for the shower. After riding in the back of the old truck, he felt as if he had an inch of dust coating his body and filling all the crevices.
Nothing a little soap and water won’t cure.
If only soap and water could wash Marly out of his head.
He turned the shower to a cool setting and stepped beneath the spray. As he lathered his body, running his hands over his skin, his thoughts drifted back to Marly and that damned flight suit. He wondered what it would be like to undress her body from that all-enveloping garment, starting at the zipper and working his way down. The glimpse of her hot-pink bra had only left him wanting to know more. Such as, did she have matching hot-pink panties?
His groin tightened and his shaft swelled at the image in his mind. She’d be appalled at his lusty thoughts, but he couldn’t seem to stop them. At that moment, he wondered how her long legs would feel wrapped around his waist as he drove into her.
Pitbull reached behind him, turning the water to an even cooler temperature. He didn’t need to show up at dinner and embarrass himself. The guys would rib him endlessly.
After rinsing the soap from his hair, face and body, he turned off the shower, stepped out of the tub and toweled dry with one of the huge luxury towels provided.
As a navy SEAL, he wasn’t used to lavishness. Three squares and a bunk were all he’d come to hope for, and sometimes he went without. Having a shower at all was always a blessing. He pressed the towel to his nose and sniffed the light floral fragrance. Again, he thought of Marly and how that towel would wrap around her slender body twice.
He flung the towel over the curtain rod, pulled his razor out of his shaving kit and scraped three days’ worth of beard from his chin. With a clean body and a smooth chin, he strode into the bedroom naked. Talia had said dinner was formal. He dug inside his backpack for his best white long-sleeved, button-down shirt and his only pair of dark trousers. He didn’t have a suit jacket, but he could at least dress nicely for dinner.
The men had been warned that they needed at least one dressier outfit for dinners during their stay at the resort. Pitbull would have preferred to show up in his jeans and a T-shirt, but he had to respect the proprietress’s rules. He shook his trousers and shirt, hoping to knock the wrinkles out. When that didn’t work, he searched the small bungalow and found an ironing board. Great. Just what he wanted to do on vacation at a safari resort.
Pride forced him to pull the board and iron out. In less than ten minutes, he had the wrinkles smoothed. While the garments were still warm, Pitbull slipped into them and pulled on socks and shoes. He found the necktie he’d picked up at the Post Exchange on Camp Lemonnier, looped it over his neck and knotted it expertly. He might not have grown up in the best neighborhood, but his mother had taught him how to knot a tie for church.
He smiled at her memory. The woman had worked hard all her life, only to die of breast cancer when Pitbull had been in BUD/S training. She’d insisted he not come home for her funeral, knowing how difficult the training was and how much harder it would be to have to start over.
He still regretted not being with his mother at her bedside until her last breath. His parents had always been there for him and believed in him. They always told him that he could accomplish anything he set his mind to.
Except save his mother.
As an only child, he’d felt the burden of guilt for not being there for her when she’d needed him most.
His father had been there, comforting her as she left life and, as he’d said, joined the angels.
Pitbull had never been sure of angels and religion, but he’d experienced days in battle when nothing but a miracle could have saved them, and then it had. He liked to think his mother had been watching over him.
His father was still alive, living in Virginia, still a little lost without his wife. He’d been heartbroken by the loss and hadn’t dated or dared to love another woman since. Pitbull visited him as much as possible when he was Stateside in Little Creek, Virginia.
Having witnessed his father’s heartache, Pitbull had been hesitant to get that involved with any woman for more than a date or two. He didn’t want love someone he might lose, and suffer the way his father had.
This thing he was feeling about Marly was nothing more than insta-lust. It would fade and she’d be out of his life when they left Africa.
He ran a comb through his hair, smoothing it into place. The longer he took to get ready, the more jittery he became. Dressed thirty minutes early, he had nothing else to do but wait. Hell, he might as well wait outside.
He found himself anxious to see Marly again. How could that be? He barely knew the woman.
Chapter Four (#u09893b2c-705e-55c4-aee3-4f4a6e1c10ee)
Pitbull stepped out of his bungalow and noted Buck standing outside his. He gave the other man a slight lift of his chin and sauntered over to join him.
Buck wore a black button-down shirt and black trousers with a red necktie. He tugged at the tie. “Damned things are like a noose. Whoever invented them was either masochistic or sadistic.”
Pitbull nodded. “I don’t understand dressing in formal clothing for dinner. What’s wrong with jeans?”
“Women.” Buck shrugged and tipped his head toward the darkening shadows in the nearby trees. “Did you hear the hyenas laughing?”
His lips quivering in laughter, Pitbull shot back, “They think we look funny, too?”
With a snort, Buck started toward the main house. “I guess early is better than late to a formal dinner.”
Pitbull glanced around. “Wonder if the others are ready.”
“They were the last ones at the pool table and are running late. They’ll find us soon enough,” Buck responded.
As they neared the front entrance to the house, the sun was setting in a radiant wash of orange, red, mauve and finally blues and purples. The gap between the trees gave them just enough of the spectacle to make them stop and stare for a long moment.
The front door opened behind them.
“Gentlemen, won’t you come into the study for a drink before dinner?” Talia stood in the doorway, dressed in a long gown that hugged every curve of her body like a second skin. The neckline was low, dipping past her breasts, but not quite down to her belly button. The woman was well endowed, and gravity hadn’t yet made its claim there.
“Now I can see why formal dinners can be a draw,” Buck said beneath his breath as he followed Talia inside. Louder he said, “Talia, you look amazing.”
“Why, thank you.” Talia stopped in the foyer and turned a smile toward Buck, her lips spreading across her expertly made-up face. “Wait until you see Marly. I got to experiment with clothes and makeup. I barely recognized her.”
Pitbull’s brows drew together. He hoped Talia hadn’t painted Marly’s smooth, natural complexion with a ton of makeup. He liked Marly’s fresh face and naturally pink lips.
“Where is she?” Buck asked, craning his neck to see around Talia.
“She was combing her hair when I left her. Hopefully she won’t be much longer.” Her glance shifted from the men in the entryway to the sweeping staircases.
A figure moved toward the landing and paused at the top.
Pitbull’s breath caught in his chest. He stared up at the woman standing there. She had on a sapphire-blue dress that hugged her body like she was born in it. The top crisscrossed her breasts and rounded the back of her neck in soft, iridescent folds. The skirt clung to her waist, hips and thighs, falling to the tops of her ankles, shimmering with every move and exposing a hint of her tight calves. Rhinestone-studded, low-heeled sandals completed her outfit, emphasizing her delicate feet.
With one hand on the rail, she descended the stairs, her head held high, sandy-blond tresses pulled up in a stylishly messy bun with strands falling down around her cheeks. Her gaze caught his, holding it all the way down.
Without realizing he’d moved, Pitbull found himself at the base of the stairs, his hand resting on the rail, his foot on the first riser.
A low whistle sounded next to him. “Is that our Marly?” Buck asked in a hushed tone.
Marly gave a lopsided grin. “It’s me,” she said and laughed.
When Buck held out his hand to her, Pitbull brushed it aside and reached out to take hers for himself.
Marly laid her fingers in his palm and shook her head. “You act as if you’re staring at a unicorn.” She wiggled her fingers in front of his face. “For that matter, you might as well be staring at a unicorn. When I leave here, you’ll never see me in a dress again.”
“Oh, Marly, darling, you look fabulous.” Talia joined them and gave Marly a hug. “I knew that color would suit you perfectly.” Talia stood back, admiring Marly’s transformation. “Don’t you boys agree?”
“You look nice,” Pitbull said. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Beautiful, sweetheart.” Buck leaned in and bussed Marly’s cheek.
Her face flamed with color. “It’s just a dress. A borrowed one at that.”
“But you wear it so well,” Talia insisted. “I have another dress that will be just as spectacular on you for tomorrow night.”
“No.” Marly held up her hand. “I can wear this one every night. You don’t have to dress me in something different every evening.”
“I insist,” Talia said. “I don’t often have lovely ladies visiting. It would be my pleasure. And you wouldn’t want to deprive me of the fun, would you?”
Marly bit on her bottom lip and studied the other woman.
Pitbull could tell she was debating what she wanted to say to her hostess.
Finally Marly sighed. “I don’t mind at all. If you want to dress me like a doll, I won’t stop you. But I draw the line at corsets. I don’t do corsets.”
Talia laughed. “I’ll remember that.”
The front door opened, and the other four members of Pitbull’s team entered. They gathered around Marly, congratulating her on her amazing transformation.
“You look like an entirely different woman,” Harm commented.
She laughed out loud and then frowned. “No matter what I’m wearing, I’m still the same old Marly. And, for the record, I’d rather wear my flight suit and hiking boots than a dress and heels any day.”
Talia raised her arms, urging the crowd of people toward another door. “If Miss Simpson and you men are ready, we can go into the dining room to be served.”
Pitbull offered Marly his arm. As they entered the formal dining room, he leaned close to Marly and said, “You look amazing.”
She ducked her head. “Thank you.”
“But seriously,” Pitbull added, “I prefer you in the flight suit and boots.”
She shot a glance his way. “You don’t like the dress?”
“Don’t get me wrong, the dress suits you. But I like the pilot, Marly—the woman who likes to putter in airplane engines and get grease on her cheek.”
She ducked her head again, color blooming in her face. “You do?” Glancing up, she caught his gaze. “Why?”
Before Pitbull could think of a response, Talia interrupted his thoughts.
“There are no assigned seats. You may sit wherever your heart desires.” She pinned Marly and Pitbull with a stare and a half smile.
Was it a challenge? Pitbull didn’t know, nor did he care. He was still working through how he would answer Marly’s question without revealing too many of his internal thoughts.
He held out a chair for her and waited while she got situated. When he went to sit in the space beside her, he was outmaneuvered by Buck.
“Hey.” He laid a hand on Buck’s shoulder.
“You snooze, you lose, buddy.” Buck grinned up at him. “Besides, I want to get to know this new, sexy Marly. She’s hot.”
By the time Pitbull turned to the seat on the other side of Marly, Big Jake had settled in.
When Pitbull glared at him, he frowned. “What? Do you want me to move or something?”
He wanted to say Get the hell out of my seat, but why? Marly wasn’t his property. He had no more of a valid reason to sit beside her than any one of his teammates. They all wanted to be close to the beauty she’d transformed into. The only difference between him and them was they wanted her for what she’d become. Pitbull wanted Marly for the woman in the flight suit, not the one in the fancy blue dress.
He took the seat across the table from her and contented himself with staring at her as often as he liked.
The meal was excellent, served in seven courses. By the time dinner was over, Pitbull could swear he’d ground his back teeth into nubs. Who ate dinner over the space of two hours? The longest meal he’d ever had lasted maybe fifteen minutes, tops. In the military, you ate fast, not knowing when you’d be interrupted by enemy fire.
He wanted out of the suffocating pretentiousness of the house, out in the night where he could stretch his arms and legs, and remember what it meant to be free. At least there, the animals wouldn’t give a damn which fork he used with the salad and which he used with dessert.
When the dessert was served, he jammed it down his throat, pushed back from the table and half stood, ready to make a run for the exit.
“Mr. Taylor, are you up on the dangers of the African safari?” Talia asked.
He sat back down in the chair. For a long time, he didn’t say anything. Finally, he nodded. “I know not to move around alone in the night and to make sure my weapon of choice will bring down a man or an elephant, whichever attacks me first.”
Talia nodded. “You’re right. The four-legged animals can get testy when you invade their space. They usually don’t attack in this area, but we’ve had a rogue lion sneak in the past few nights and steal away a farm animal or, in the worst-case scenario, a child.”
Marly’s soft gasp could be heard around the table. “Did they find the child?”
Talia shook her head, her mouth turning downward at the corners. “Sadly, no.”
Marly glanced down at her half-eaten cheesecake. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Talia forced a smile to her lips. “My goal wasn’t to make for depressing dinner conversation. I just want you to be aware of the dangers lurking in the dark. Don’t go out alone, and don’t assume you’re safe. The animals have learned humans can be easy targets.” She placed her palms on the table and stood. “That said, please don’t hesitate to enjoy the walled gardens behind the house. We’ve never had any big cats attempt to scale the walls.”
When Talia had risen from the table, all of the men rose with her.
Pitbull pushed his chair up to the table. “On that note, I could use some fresh air.”
“Please, make yourself at home,” Talia said. “And you’re welcome to play pool as late as you like, or have drinks at the bar. The house is well insulated, so the noise won’t bother other guests.”
Harm nodded toward T-Mac. “You and I have a game to win. We can’t let Big Jake and Diesel claim the title.”
Big Jake shook his head. “I’m out. I’d rather have a beer and watch.” He tipped his head toward Buck. “Let Buck and Diesel clean your clocks.”
Buck cracked his knuckles. “You won’t have a chance against me and Diesel.”
T-Mac laughed. “I’ve seen you play. You’re all talk.”
“Put your money where your mouth is,” Buck said. “I’ve got a twenty saying we’ll win.”
“Make it thirty. I could use the extra cash in my pocket,” T-Mac shot back.
“You ladies care to join us?” Harm asked Marly and Talia.
Talia smiled. “I’d love to.”
Marly shook her head. “I’ll pass. Sounds too intense for me. I’ve had my share of intensity for the day.”
“Right.” Harm nodded. “Landing a plane in the middle of a herd of water buffalos and zebras has to be a bit extreme.” He shrugged. “If you get bored or lonely, join us anytime.”
“Yeah.” Buck winked. “We’ll be up late wiping the floor with these guys.”
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