Ride with the SEAL (Norse Security 1)

Cam pulled out his phone and thumbed in a text. Seconds later the device buzzed with a response. “Well,” he said, “according to Loki, we need to lay low again. Too much heat on us right now to head back to the Norse Security offices. I’m guessing anywhere familiar to your father would be out too, correct?”

Everly nodded. “I’m sure you’re tired of hearing it, but I really am sorry. For everything.”

“I know.” Cam said, sliding his phone back into his pocket. “Me too. I wish we’d met again under different circumstances.”

“Me too.”

He exhaled slow and stared out at the deserted stretch of back country road ahead of them. “There’s only one place I can think of where I’d feel one-hundred percent safe right now.”

“Where’s that?” Everly asked, straightening. Safe sounded like heaven.

He winked and gave her a crooked half-grin. “Nope. Fooled me once, sweetheart. Even old Geek Squad here wises up after a while.” He reached over and grabbed her wadded up fleece blanket off the passenger side floor and used his pocket knife to cut a strip off of it. “You want to come with me, you wear this.”

“What is that?”

“A blindfold.” He held it between his hands. “Can’t take any chances this time.”

She wanted to argue, but what was the point? If she got out now, she’d be a sitting duck, plus Everly had no idea where they were exactly. She could wander for hours before finding a kind soul to help. She swallowed hard. “Fine.”

“Good girl.” He tied the fleece strip around her head, then let her get settled in her seat again before starting the engine. With her sight gone, her other senses seemed hyper alert—the sound of Cam’s voice and the low, sweet melody of the classical station on the radio; the smell of fresh air and fertilizer when he cracked open a window somewhere along the way; the prickle of heat and light on her skin from the sunshine. Eventually, it all must’ve lulled her into a dreamless sleep because the next thing she knew, they were pulling to a stop. There was a grinding noise—a motor, a chain, a steady squeak, whirr, squeak. Garage door opener. Yep. Cam’s car door opened and closed, then his footsteps echoed as he walked around the car and stopped near her side. Another door opened, and his hands were on her shoulders, guiding her out of the vehicle—his touch warm and strong and reassuring. He shut the door behind her then clicked the locks on the Aeon before slipping off her blindfold.

Everly blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the cement garage. Unlike her father’s place, this space was neat and tidy, with everything put away where it belonged and even the bicycles hanging from racks on the ceiling. Along one wall were shelves of wires and cables and what looked like old computer parts.

Cam took her hand and led her across the garage to a door in the corner. “Please excuse the mess. I wasn’t expecting com

pany.”

“This is your house?”

“Yep. And I should warn you that it’s completely off the grid. I run off solar panels on the roof, water comes from a well on the property, and my Internet connection runs through the dark web, not some commercial provider. Your cell phone won’t work here either. I’ve got the whole place on lock down.”

“Seriously?” She snorted and followed him inside what she expected to be some dingy pigsty a la The Matrix. What she found instead was a spic and span, if somewhat Spartan, ranch-style home decorated in tasteful shades of tan and white. There was no sign of the aforementioned mess either. This place was even tidier than the garage. For a bachelor, Cam obviously took care of his home. “Wow. This is really nice.”

“Thanks.” He tossed the Aeon’s keys on a side table then led her into his living room, complete with a tan leather sectional sofa and a huge flat screen TV. Of course, he had a state-of-the-art gaming system too. The room opened into a walk-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances and mocha-colored granite countertops. Down a short hall were his master bedroom and a guest room and a door with a keypad on the wall beside the lock. “Each of the bedrooms has its own bathroom, so we won’t have to share. I’ll find you some of my old sweats to sleep in.”

“Sounds good.” She waited near the guest room door as he walked away, unable to keep her curiosity from surfacing. Everly pointed toward the mysterious black door across from her. “What’s in that room?”

Cam turned at the door to his room, his slow smile causing her heart to beat faster. “That’s where the magic happens, sweetheart. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

His slow head-to-toe appraisal of her left no doubt that he remembered their steamy morning kiss just as well as she did. And that he’d like to repeat it. And yeah, making love to Camden Thursday just might be fatal to her trembling heart, but damn. What a way to die.

He returned with an oversized grey sweatshirt, a pair of flannel plaid sleep pants, and white socks a few moments later. “This should do okay for you until tomorrow.”

“Yep.” She took the bundle from him and backed into the guest room, suddenly shy. “I’m, uh, going to take a quick shower.”

“Sounds good. I’ll order dinner. What do you like on your pizza?” He leaned an arm against the doorframe, looking entirely too adorable for his own good.

“Anything except anchovies. And olives.”

“Got it. I’ll get some breadsticks too. And soda.” He winked and turned away. “See you in a few. Have a nice shower.”

11

Have a nice shower?

Cam gave a short, disgruntled sigh. How stupid had that sounded? God, he was such an idiot sometimes, despite his MENSA membership. No wonder he couldn’t keep a steady relationship. No self-respecting woman wanted to be with a socially-backward goob like him. Well, that and the fact he had to keep his job a secret, for the most part. And there was the minor issue of him being gone for stints at a time on jobs. When he’d been in the military, short and sweet had been awesome. All the pleasure, none of the messy ties and emotions that went along with having a steady partner. Now though, he found himself wanting those connections.

Not that he didn’t love his house, nicknamed Fortress Thursday, but someday he wanted kids, a wife, a person by his side through thick and thin, good and bad.