Page 82 of Brooks

“I heard you guys were in town. I was hoping we’d run into you. This is my girlfriend, Caite McCallan,” he proudly introduced.

This was the famous Caite. The woman who had single-handedly rescued three SEALs and had started the domino effect that had caused Captain Chambers’ plan to unravel. Good for her. And by the looks of it, she’d caught herself a good man out of the ordeal.

More introductions were made and pleasantries exchanged when Rocco spoke again. “If you guys aren’t busy, there’s a barbeque down at the beach tonight. Every couple of months—”

“Yeah, I know what happens every couple of months. I just got done reading the SITREP from your last beach party. While I think that a little shootout at what’s equivalent to a company party is perfectly acceptable fun, even I’m not—”

“Goddammit, Zane. You’re scaring her,” Ivy admonished. “I apologize on my husband’s behalf. He’s been hit in the head too many times.” She was talking to Caite but then looked at Rocco. “We would love to join you at the beach. Zane has promised me a vacation out of this trip. We’ll start tonight.”

“I’m not scared of him.” Caite waved her hand in Zane’s direction.

What had started out as a few chuckles from the guys turned into an all-out roar of laughter.

“Great. Just perfect. I’m losing my edge. Baby, you have got to stop telling people not to be afraid of me,” Zane grumbled.

He was so full of shit.

“Do I know you?” Caite asked me. “You look familiar.”

“We actually met in Bahrain.”

“Yes. When I was arranging the job fair.” She was correct. I’d gone to check out the museums that would be attending, hoping to find new leads on artifacts.

“Good memory.”

“So, we’ll see you tonight?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

A picnic on the beach sounded awesome. Tomorrow we had a full day planned sorting through the contents of my old life. It was time to junk the past.

“Come on, ma petite fée. Time to go home.”

Rocco smiled down at Caite as a pretty blush graced her cheeks.

“I think it’s time we go home, too,” Brooks whispered.

Damn, I loved the sound of that. Home with Brooks. Even if home was a hotel room.

Chapter 36

“The sunset is beautiful,” Tatiana said from beside me.

We’d broken away from the crowd and had walked down by the water. I had something I wanted to talk to her about, but now that I had her alone, I wasn’t sure how to start.

“It is,” I agreed. “Do you know how much I love you?”

She turned in my arms, looked up, and her beautiful smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?”

“I don’t know. You sound so serious, and your face…”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

“Nothing. I mean, you just look thoughtful.”

“Thoughtful?” Damn. I was fucking this up. She’d gone from smiling and relaxed to on guard. Not the way I’d wanted this to go. “Tatiana…”