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No important relationships with a significant other. No major love story or children. Except for her fur baby, anyway. As if on cue, Neo jumped up on the counter and rubbed against her arm, purring loudly.
“You just want food. Such a user.”
With a sigh, she pulled a cupboard open and shook a bag of treats. She sprinkled a few on the counter and Neo gobbled them up as she stroked a hand down his back.
“Good boy.”
Turning, River poured herself a mug of freshly-brewed coffee, leaned a hip against the counter and blew on it. And, to her complete annoyance, she thought about the one man she’d let slip away. Telling Zane Hawkins she wasn’t interested in pursuing a real relationship with him had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. But, at the time, she didn’t have a choice.
Now, in hindsight, she wondered if that was actually true. By turning him away, had she made a huge mistake?
Pretending to be fake married to Zane had been the most exhilarating and dangerous year of her life. Like him, she’d been recruited to be a part of DEVGRU’s Black Squadron, the only unit that contained women operators. While not SEALs, the women aided in intelligence collection and exploitation. However, they could also handle strike ops. Although they didn’t go through the same selection process as the men, they received the same training.
A part of her missed the excitement of her days with Black Squadron. As members of the ultra-secretive group, she and Zane had been sent in as recon to conduct surveillance of targets. Their mission had required them to set up house in Yemen as a married couple, get close to the locals, blend in, and spy on a list of provided targets. Having women in the group helped operators assimilate in a softer, more low-key way.
They would report back and, if warranted, the assault squadrons were sent in to complete the missions.
For three hundred and sixty-five days, River pretended to be Zane’s wife. They ate together, slept in the same bed, and convinced their neighbors they were a married couple who worked at the US Embassy inSanaa. All the while, they used their skills and training to ferret out intel about possible terrorist groups. It was a damn dangerous job, but Zane had made it…
Hell, he’d made it enjoyable. She’d never clicked so easily or completely with someone. There was no denying the spark between them. Though they never talked about it, the attraction was mutual. And, as tempted as they might have been to cross the line, they never did. Lives hung in the balance and people depended on them to remain professional.
Of course, they were only human, and they were bound to fumble. And they did. Once.
River closed her eyes, unable to forget that night. It had burned itself into her mind. The hot wind blew in off the desert and she’d been in a foul mood. Intel they were relying on fell through and they’d ended up arguing, blaming each other for something that was completely out of their control. Looking back, she knew it had been all the sexual tension building up between them that caused the fight. For months, they’d had no outlet for their frustration and, that night, they’d finally caved to the temptation that had been steadily threatening to blow.
In a moment of passion, Zane had thrown her down on the bed and kissed her into oblivion. Things had gotten steamy and she’d been ready to forget their relationship was just part of their cover and fuck him senseless. But they’d been interrupted by an important phone call and never picked up where they’d left off. After that, River refused to allow herself to be weak again. Besides, at that point, they only had a few weeks left before their mission ended. She stuck it out and then walked away.
Zane never reached out or came after her. And that was the assurance she needed to know she’d made the right decision.
Or, so she’d thought.
River let out a pent-up breath and watched as Neo jumped off the counter and strutted away.Everything happens for a reason.As trite as it sounded, she believed that with her entire being.
Apparently, she and Zane just weren’t meant to be.
Her phone started ringing back in her office and River glanced at her watch. It was almost midnight. Who would be calling her this late? Worry twisted her gut and she thought about her sister who lived a few hours south near Columbus. And her parents who were getting older.
She walked quickly back to her desk, scooped up her phone and saw a blocked number. Typically, she wouldn’t answer. But, for some strange reason, something told her to answer the call. Right before the unknown caller went to voicemail, she swiped the bar over. “Hello?”
“Hi, RL.”
She sucked in a shocked breath, instantly recognizing that deep voice. And the silly nickname that only one man used pierced straight through her like an arrow. Her knees buckled and she dropped down in her chair.
River wasn’t sure if it was the caffeine or the voice from her past making her hand shake. Her body sagged forward, and it took a moment before she found her voice.
“Zane?”
“I need a favor and you’re the only person who can help me.”
River pulled in a deep, steadying breath.
Everything happens for a reason.
Epilogue
The team gathered together in Gray and Aubrey’s bungalow once he was up and moving around again. A few days of her care, and a couple of nights of her loving, and she was happy to see his shoulder would heal just fine. Sitting up straighter on the couch, her leg pressed to Gray’s, she listened closely as the group went over every detail of the Bahamas op. And she nearly had a heart attack when they talked about the deadly creatures Mesa kept in tanks and how the Mercier twins showed up.
“So, it sounds like the Toxic Twins are working for whoever offers them the most money,” Ryland commented.
