Page 26 of Deadly Scandals

I hung up the phone and pounded my beer. Why did she care so much about Paul? Had she been fucking him? Her best friend’s husband? I definitely wouldn’t put it past her or Paul.

She wasn’t my problem. Neither was Paul. I just wanted to see my kids.

My little man, Sam, was five, about to start kindergarten in the fall. That boy wasn’t like me at all. He was kind, sensitive, and cautious. Now my daughter, Sienna, on the other hand, was my clone. Sassy little daredevil. She was six and very protective of her baby brother. But it wasn’t her job to protect him. It was mine. And I had failed. She moved them, and I had been unable to stop her. Without them living in the same state, the best I could do was send money and be available every time their mother would let me see or talk to them.

Well, maybe she would honor her word and bring them to me. For now, the only thing I could do was get ready for my date.

I hit the shower. The hot water massaged my aching muscles as I scrubbed the day off my chest. This day, this job, this life was so intense. I never had downtime. I was either at war abroad or at war at home. I couldn’t even relate to women anymore—well, outside of the bedroom, anyway. How could I pretend to care about the newest movie or the latest reality star gossip when my buddies were getting offed overseas? And even being killed here?

But with Ash, it was different. She knew the drill. She was NCIS, for fuck sake. She had investigated Joaquín’s case. I’m sure she had already read my entire personnel file. I had nothing to hide from her. I refused to keep secrets from Ashley.

I had one chance to get it right with this woman. No more of my usual bullshit games. I fucking wanted her. She had vanished after the last time I’d seen her—changed her cell number, hadn’t replied to my messages on her office phone. Seeing her today at the compound had brought back all the lust I’d harbored for her. I wasn’t going to squander my second chance with this woman.

So, I was pulling out all the stops. I dressed in my nicest suit and made reservations at the best restaurant in La Jolla, with views of the ocean. Excitement built inside me. Planning a date was like preparing for a mission. But instead of my goal being to take out a terrorist, my goal was to seduce Ashley. And I planned on eating her for dessert.

I took my truck, though I’d briefly considered taking my bike. She already knew the bad boy. I wanted to get her to know the gentleman, even if I was barely acquainted with him myself.

I cruised up north on the freeway and exited toward the beach. She lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, a cool, laid-back hippie surf town. Man, I’d love to live there, but it was too far from base.

I stopped at the grocery store to buy flowers and then walked up the street to her place. It was a small apartment complex. A few bros drank on a patio, and some bum eyed me as I approached her door. Protectiveness coiled through my body. I knew Ash packed heat, but even so, I hated the thought of all these men living around her, no doubt lusting after her like I did.

I rang the doorbell and Ash opened the door. One look at her incredible body, her luscious lips, and her bright blue eyes, and I was rendered speechless.

“Well, well, Petty Officer Martinez. Don’t you clean up nice?”

I handed her the flowers. As much as I wanted her, I had to stay cool.

“It’s just a suit, Autumn. Underneath it, I’m still your bad boy.”