Tempted by a SEAL(19)
Brody laughed again. “See? Told ya.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re always right. But I hope it is nothing because if one more of you guys gets pussywhipped by some girl, I’m going to be the only single one left. Then who the hell is going to hang out at the bar with me?”
Brody scowled. “Screw you. I’m not whipped.”
Rocky let out a snort. “If you say so.”
Crossing his arms, Mack leaned back and settled in, more than happy to watch these two sparring about any topic other than him and his love life.
A love life. Damn, he might actually have one of those.
It wasn’t lost on Mack that he’d faced some of the most evil men in the world without fear, but his having a real relationship was a scary concept.
Dawson, one of the guys who’d joined the team not long before Mack, popped his head through the doorway. “Passing the word. Rally at zero-three hundred at the airfield.”
Rocky’s eyes popped wide. “We’re heading out tonight?”
“That’s the word from command.” The kid slipped out as quickly as he’d come.
Brody let out a laugh. “Don’t get excited. You know we’ll get there and sit waiting for hours.”
“Or get stuck at a transport station for days.” Thom scowled but still, it was good news.
They were heading home. Mack would be there soon enough.
CHAPTER 16
Lydia glanced at the clock and huffed out an annoyed breath. She had to get into the bathroom and get ready for class.
She’d be fine forgoing the shower in favor of throwing her hair into a ponytail, but there were other pressing things she needed to do before class such as brushing her teeth and washing her face. And all her makeup was in there too.
In her desperation, Lydia would be happy to just use the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, the bathroom was not only occupied, but the door was locked so she couldn’t even reach in and grab her toothbrush and makeup.
She heard the water in the shower still running which meant this was going to be a long wait. Her roommate had a long shower ritual. Lydia didn’t have the leisure to wait for her this morning.
Lydia pounded on the door with her fist. “Marissa!”
“What?”
“I need to get in there. I’ve got class.”
“All right. One second.”
The sound of the lock turning spurred Lydia into action. She opened the door and was hit by a face full of hot steam.
Marissa peered out from behind the shower curtain. “Come in or go out but close the door. You’re letting the cold air in.”
“Fine.” Lydia closed the door and tried to see through the low visibility conditions to find what she needed.
How her roommate could stand such long hot showers that it made the bathroom more like a steam room was beyond her.
“What’s wrong with you this morning?” Marissa asked from in the shower stall.
Besides being locked out of the bathroom when she had a class? “Nothing. I’m just going to be late if I don’t get moving.”
Lydia knew it was more than that. It had been nearly three weeks and not one peep from Mack.
Even after she’d called her mother every day this week to check in and had dropped as many hints as she could without spilling the beans, she still had no more information about the ever-elusive James MacIntyre.
Though she supposed she had all she needed to know already—they’d spent two nights together and he hadn’t made any attempt to contact her. In fact, by all indications, he was actively avoiding her.
Like an idiot, she’d driven to her mother’s house for the past two weekends. Even packing a bag and spending Friday through Sunday there. Her mother loved it. Of course her mother also thought Lydia’s trips were motivated by her being a devoted daughter.
Lydia knew the truth. She was dangerously close to becoming a full blown stalker. She drove to and from her mother’s place by way of Mack’s apartment.
She’d stopped short of staking out his block but she had driven by his place every Friday night and again every Sunday afternoon. She checked for his motorcycle—which wasn’t there. She looked for lights on in his windows, but had yet to see any.
Lydia had even stopped in the bar last Friday even with as dangerous as that was. Given the last time she’d been there the guy hitting on her had ended up on the floor facedown, she probably should have avoided the place.
Braving running into the creep, she’d sat and ordered a soda. And she’d questioned the bartender. Casually, of course. She’d said she wanted to thank Mack for helping her out that other night.
Either the bartender was covering for Mack or he was telling the truth, but he said he hadn’t seen Mack around lately.
That left her only source of information his father, hence the extended visits both weekends. But even that hadn’t yielded much of anything.
If she weren’t completely paranoid, she’d swear his father clammed up every time she asked about Mack, and his career in the military, and what he was doing for the weekend.
It was all extremely draining. Every day, every week, whittled away at her self confidence until Lydia was convinced of one thing—he not only didn’t want to see her again, he’d even avoid his own father just to steer clear of her.
“You want to meet at The Caf for lunch after your class?” Marissa asked from behind the curtain.
Mouth filled with toothpaste, Lydia managed to answer, “Sure.”
The Caf was way more than a dining hall. The fresh baked cookies, which Lydia had consumed way too many of during her four years at this school, were worth the trip alone. Throw in things like Moroccan chicken and she was in heaven.
Besides, Lydia could use the distraction of lunch on the crowded campus. She wasn’t really mad at Marissa. More mad at herself. And at Mack, of course.
Lunch would be good, and then drinks tonight and not in Virginia Beach while stalking her two-night stand.
The pitiful pining and the stalking ended now.
Weekends at college were for having fun. She was in her senior year. It was time she went back to acting like it, before she graduated and missed her chance.
Lydia rinsed out her mouth. “Are we going out tonight?”
“Definitely. Where do you wanna go?” Marissa asked.
“I don’t know. We can figure that out over lunch, I guess.”
“Sounds good,” Marissa said over the sound of the water.
Yeah, it did sound good.
Lydia grabbed her makeup case and turned for the door. It was way too steamy to attempt to see in the bathroom. The bedroom mirror would have to do.
She might not be able to take back her bathroom right now but it was more than time to take back her life from the memories of James MacIntyre. Starting now.
CHAPTER 17
Marissa rubbed one hand over her stomach. “Ugh. I’m so full I could burst. But, I’m not too full for this.” With a grin she picked up a huge gooey chocolate chip cookie from her plate.
Lydia shook her head, torn between hating her roommate and her overactive metabolism, and laughing at the sheer ridiculous amount the girl could put away and still not gain an ounce.
She settled on being happy with the belief that one day time and all those calories would catch up with Marissa. Until then, Lydia would have to be satisfied with the memories that Mack hadn’t seemed to mind the freshman fifteen she’d put on four years ago and had never been able to take off, only add to.
Mack. Just thinking his name had her sighing.
“What’s wrong?” Marissa asked.
“Same thing as usual.”
“Your secret agent hottie?”
Lydia laughed. “Stop. He’s not.”
“How can you be so sure?” Marissa asked the question for what had to be the dozenth time over the past few weeks.
“Because . . .” Lydia was running out of new reasons why Mack was not—couldn’t be—some sort of special agent.
“Yes?” Marissa cocked one perfectly shaped eyebrow.
“Oh, hush up. I just know.”
Marissa smiled as if the victory was hers. Lydia decided to leave her to her delusions and focus on finishing the last of her Asian Salad, tasty even if it wasn’t a chocolate chip cookie.
She stabbed the tiny wedge of Mandarin orange and pretended she wasn’t drooling over Marissa’s cookie.
Lucky for Lydia, Marissa didn’t dally over finishing it. The tantalizing treat disappeared as quickly as the girl’s metabolism would probably burn it up.
Giving up, Lydia tossed her napkin and fork on top of her salad plate and pushed it forward. “Ready to go? I’ve got another class.”
“Yeah, I’m done.” Marissa planted her hands on the table to stand just as the door of the cafeteria crashed open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.
Lydia jumped in her seat. “What the hell?”
Who would be such an ass as to act like that? She swiveled to look toward the noise but couldn’t see from her seated position.
It didn’t take long for her question to be answered. The rapid pop-pop-pop and accompanying screams had her blood running cold.
Marissa dropped low, crouching between her chair and the table. “Oh my God. Lydia, he has a gun. He’s shooting people. What do we do?”
Her best friend’s barely contained panic was worlds better than the screaming and gunshots and chaos surrounding them as the packed room erupted into Armageddon.