Ride with the SEAL (Norse Security 1)

She snorted. “I could kick your ass six ways from Sunday, mister. You don’t grow up around a bunch of tough dudes in a garage without learning some self-defense skills.”

“And somehow that only makes you hotter.”

Stunned, Everly blinked at him in the darkness. So she wasn’t the only one who felt this simmering attraction between them. Sure, there’d been that near-kiss back in the safe house kitchen, but who knew if that was just heat-of-the-moment adrenaline or what. But no. This was real between them. A real problem, her conscience not-so-helpfully added, if you don’t get it under control.

Everly tried to pull her hand away, but Cam held tight. “Listen, I know that was inappropriate, given our situation,” he said. “But we’re all alone tonight in this cold, lonely factory with no one to see or hear us at all. I think you’re hot. There, I said it. I had a crush on you for years back in high school, and though it’s totally wrong to act on it right now, I wanted you to know.”

Silence stretched between them as Everly let his words warm her from the inside out. Knowing he wanted her, that he’d wanted her for years, made her nearly giddy. She’d always had him in the back of her mind too, all these years, as the cute, geeky guy who’d been completely out of reach. Now, here they were, lying side by side in a cold, uncomfortable car, making midnight confessions in the dark. “I thought you were cute.”

“Cute?”

“Hot.”

“Hot.”

“Yes.” She laughed again, doing her best to ignore the way his thumb was tracing lazy patterns against her palm and the corresponding molten heat gathering in her core. Sleeping in this car would be bad enough. Trying for anything more amorous could land them both in traction. Still, it didn’t stop her from stoking the fires a bit more. “Back in high school, you were this nerdy hunk. Now, you’re all-grown up and gorgeous to boot.” Before he could respond, she yanked her hand away and turned to face the passenger side window, unable to keep the smile from her face at his grunt of protest. “Now, go to sleep. We need to get up early in the morning.”

9

Cam awoke the next morning with a warm weight on his chest and a dull pounding in his head. He blinked open weary eyes and tipped his chin down to see Everly snoozing away atop him. It took him a minute to realize where they were—sleeping in the Aeon inside the dilapidated piano factory. He yawned and stretched, wincing at the crick in his neck and the gear shift gouging into the side of his thigh. Carefully, he scooted up higher in the leather seat and realized Everly had somehow contorted herself across the console so that the top of her body was sprawled across him and her legs were still on the passenger seat, tangled in her fleece blanket.

This close, he caught the sweet floral scent of her perfume and felt the steady thud of her heart pressed against his. As if sensing his perusal, Everly slowly looked up at him, her face dreamy with the remnants of sleep and her smile slow and sexy. Before he could react, she closed the small distance between them and kissed him, her lips softly brushing his as her tongue traced the seam of his mouth. Cam gave up any pretense of resisting what he’d battled so long and cupped her head, keeping her close with one hand while using the other to haul her the rest of the way over to lie atop him. With her thighs spread, knees resting on either side of his hips, he pressed her closer, allowing her to feel the full extent of his rapidly growing arousal.

Everly groaned and plunged her fingers into his hair, delving deeper between his now parted lips, tasting him, learning the feel of him, urging his passion higher and higher. It was like a dream. It was like his every fantasy come to life. It was…

Over.

Everly pulled away and frowned out the drivers’ side window. “What’s that banging noise?”

Still dazed, Cam blinked several times before straightening. His hands were on Everly’s hips, keeping her where she was, his cock throbbing with need. He shook his head to clear it and realized the pounding he’d thought was in his mind was actually

coming from the door of the factory. “Fuck.”

He helped Everly back into her seat, adjusting his too-tight jeans before unlocking the car and climbing out. He leaned back inside and pinned her with a steady stare. “Stay here until I assess the situation.”

Panic flitted across Everly’s features. “What time is it?”

“What?” Cam rubbed his face with one hand then checked his watch. “Shit. We overslept. It’s five after ten.”

“Oh, crap.” Everly was out of the car and around to stand beside Cam before his still-sluggish, pre-caffeinated senses registered what was happening. “Listen, before this goes any farther, I want you to know that when I kissed you it wasn’t because of any distractions or—”

“Huh?” Cam pushed away from the Aeon and started toward the door, her words barely entering his thoughts. His plan was to get rid of whoever was on the other side of that door then get the hell out of there as soon as Everly finished putting the car’s engine back together. It couldn’t be the guys from the team. Loki was waiting for his text before he’d intervene and no way was Hunter up and moving around this early in the day. Which meant it had to be those thugs that had been chasing them.

Shit. Just fucking shit.

Before he pulled the crowbar free of the door lock, he turned to call to Everly, “How fast can you get the Aeon up and running?”

She raked a hand through her hair, then opened the drivers’ side door to pop the hood. Cam did his best not to stare at her perfectly formed ass or remember the way said ass had felt rubbing against him just a few blissful minutes ago. His traitorous cock twitched in response.

Everly grabbed several smaller parts off the floor, along with her trusty wrench. “Give me five minutes.”

Great. He could stall them that long, even without his morning coffee, right? If not, then he’d resort to brute force. Nothing like a righteous ass-kicking to get him going in the morning. Cam yanked the crowbar free then held it at his side as the door creaked open, ready to strike should the need arise. But instead of the two mob goons who’d been tailing them for days, he found some random dude in a tailored business suit staring back at him. Cam’s reflection gleamed in the guy’s aviator shades and two hulking bodyguards flanked the sharp-dressed stranger on either side.

“Can I help you?” Cam asked, leaning a shoulder against the metal doorframe, blocking the entrance. “You lost?”

“I’m here to see Everly Knight. We had an appointment.”

“She’s busy,” he started to say, but was cut off by Everly wedging herself in beside him.