Unexpected Packages Read online

“Okay, a proverbial hat, not a real one. Or who knows, it could have been a hat with as flaky as my parents can sometimes be.”

  “Ah, got it. Okay, so if we have a girl, it will definitely be Kari, but if we have a boy, it might be a toss-up between Jack or Joseph.”

  “Joseph,” she said softly. “Joseph Bradley.”

  I kissed the top of her head. “Joseph Bradley. I like that.” We grew quiet, and I wondered if she was kind of hoping that she was pregnant. I knew I was.

  Lexi and I made love a second time, and then I spooned behind her and held her as she fell asleep. I should have gone back to my place, but I didn’t want to leave her. It felt good beside her, and it felt right. I wanted right. I wanted it right here.

  The next morning, her alarm woke us, and I quickly glanced at my watch to see it was only a few minutes before my watch would have sounded to rouse me.

  As she lay back in bed, she glanced my way and rubbed her eyes before speaking. “I didn’t dream it.”

  I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her toward me. “You most certainly did not dream it.”

  She laughed and cupped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, morning breath.”

  I chuckled. “Trust me, after some of the things I smelled overseas, morning breath does not offend me.” I pulled her face toward mine. “Can I kiss you, or do I need to go suck on my finger after I steal some toothpaste?”

  She grinned coyly and pulled her hand away from her mouth. “If you don’t mind, I don’t mind.”

  I kissed her softly, and her body rolled to the side to be up against mine. I kissed along her jaw and whispered in her ear, “Do we have time to make love again, or do you have to get up?”

  “Oh, I think we might have time for a quickie if you’re up for it.”

  I pushed my hips against hers. “I do believe I’m up for it.” She chuckled and pushed me to my back.

  “Good, then I want to be on top again,” she said, a wicked gleam in her eye that made me even harder as she straddled me.

  “You aren’t going to hear me complain.” I gripped her hips as she ground against me, and I found her body already eager to begin. “Jesus, woman.”

  She giggled. “I might have been dreaming about this.”

  “Yeah, we’ll make your dream come true, baby.”

  After we were done, she slipped from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. I gathered my clothes and began to get dressed so I could head back to my place and shower. I had my first training class today, and I needed to make sure I had all my stuff together.

  I waited until she came out a few minutes later, a lavender bathrobe covering her beautiful body. She let her gaze drift from my face to my knees and then back up. I was tempted to untie the robe and bring her back to bed, but I knew I didn’t have time, and she needed to get ready for work.

  “I need to head downstairs, shower, and get dressed,” I told her as I finished tying my hiking boots.

  “Yeah, I figured as much. Are you working from home today?”

  “No,” I stood and came to stand in front of her, rubbing my arms up and down her biceps, “I have a training class today.”

  She laughed. “Oh, yeah, I forgot that you are working with some of our guys today.”

  “Yep, I am.” Her smile was slightly lopsided. “What?”

  “Nothing.” She grinned wide. “I hope you have a great day.”

  I kissed her. “Can I see you later?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Okay, well, then have a good day, Lexi. I’ll see you later.”

  She stepped forward and kissed me one more time. “See you later.”

  I left her in her bedroom and found my jacket lying on the floor in the entryway where I’d hurriedly shucked it off the night before. I grinned as I let myself out and pulled my cellphone out of my pocket as I took the stairs. I had missed two calls, but they weren’t anything remarkable.

  After dressing for work and collecting all the stuff that I would need for the day, I lugged it all out to my SUV and went about scraping the ice off my window. I wondered what Lexi would think about getting a house together, one with a garage. I frowned at myself. In the light of day, the conversation last night about kids seemed a little early, and thinking of buying a house with her now was just another step into that crazy fantasy.

  I pushed the thoughts aside as I finished clearing my windows and then headed into the office to pick up the rest of what I would need.

  I was in the conference room when Jake stepped in. “You ready for today?”

  “Yeah, just about. Do you know where that other flyer is, the one that talks about personal health while traveling?”

  “I thought Deidra put them in your pile?”

  “No, I don’t see them.”

  “Alright, I’ll check her desk and see if it’s there.” He went to leave but paused at the door. “And heads-up, the boss decided that he wanted to join your class today to see what it’s all about.”

  “Ralph?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, said he didn’t think it was fair for his employees to go through it if he’s not willing to do it too.”

  I shrugged. “Fine with me. We told him the class size was twenty; with him there, it brings it up to eighteen. I have enough packets to cover him.”

  “Well, actually, it will be nineteen.”

  “Nineteen? Who else is coming?”

  He grinned for a moment and then looked serious. “He’s bringing that financial woman, Alexandra, with him.” He stared at me hard. “You going to be able to keep your mind in the game with her there? I know how you couldn’t keep your eyes off her at the last meeting.”

  Yeah, that was going to take some work, but I made sure my face remained neutral. “No worries from me, Screamer. Are they both going to be staying all week?”

  “No, just today and tomorrow, and make sure you keep your hands to yourself. I don’t need this deal fucked up this late in the game.”

  Well, I guess I shouldn’t share with him that I’d already had sex with her three times, or that she’d been in my arms just two hours ago. Yeah, better to leave that one alone.

  As he walked away, I dwelled on the fact that she was going to be there. I found myself smiling slightly as I looked forward to seeing what kind of shape she was in, and how well she could do with a gun. Most women were terrified of them until they tried it. Then they either loved it or hated it. Which one would she be?

  I finished collecting my gear, and Trevor, my partner instructor for the class, joined me after Jake found the missing information. We decided to take separate cars, as we both had gear stored in our vehicles for the lessons and headed over to the training facility that we had rented for the week.

  The training facility was used mostly by private security contractors, but sometimes police departments would rent the spaces out for additional training. It had two classrooms, an area to do physical training and exercises, and a small indoor shooting range.

  I was dying to get back on the range, as it had been several weeks since I’d been able to lay down some brass. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go wild as this was for the students. Besides, the range was only fifty meters, and not long enough for me to work on my real love—sniper shooting.

  That’s how I had really gotten the nickname Shadow. I was able to hide in the shadows of the overwatch positions and take out the subjects at a distance. Knowing that I could take someone out rather easily at six hundred meters was a heady feeling. Of course, most of my shots were closer, but those few that were at the six- to seven-hundred-meter range were intense moments.

  What would Lexi think if she knew that I had eighty confirmed kills under my belt? Would that change her view of me? Some people couldn’t handle that knowledge, and I hoped like hell that didn’t come up in conversation today because I wasn’t sure I was ready to see the disgust in her eyes.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lexi

  I was kind of floating on air as I got rea
dy for work, but my feet touched the ground rather quickly when my cellphone rang twenty minutes before I was supposed to leave for work, and it was Ralph.

  “Good morning, Ralph. Is there a problem?”

  “No, no problem, and good morning to you. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

  “Not at all. I was just getting ready to eat breakfast so I can head into the office.”

  “Ah, then this is good timing. I’d like you to join in on the training today.”

  My brows jumped. “The training?”

  “Yes, I thought that you and I should go so we can see what our money is going toward.”

  I laughed a little uneasily. “Um, you’re not planning on sending me overseas, are you?”

  He chuckled, the sound husky over the phone, and yet it did nothing for me. Now, if Alex had laughed like that, I might have found myself down on my knees. “No, I’m not sending you overseas. I wanted to see what they were going to teach, and I figured since you’re a woman, knowing a little bit of self-defense might be handy for you.”

  “Well, that’s kind of you, but I already know some self-defense tactics.” I didn’t bother to tell him that I was a second-degree black belt.

  “Well, I’m sure you can use a refresher. Besides, I’d like to have you around. I missed you this weekend. It will be nice to hang out with you outside the office a little bit.”

  Oh boy. I was going to have to figure out how to let him down quickly. “Um, okay. Then what should I be wearing? I assume my skirt and heels might be out of the question.”

  “Just throw on some exercise clothes. You know those tight things you ladies wear.”

  I chuckled. “Okay, I can do that. Should I come to the office or meet you someplace else.”

  “I’ll swing by and pick you up in about thirty minutes. How is that?”

  “You sure? I’d be happy to drive myself in case you get caught up in something else.”

  “No, I’d like to pick you up.”

  I winced. “Okay, sounds good. I’ll see you in a little while.”

  After I hung up, I set my bagel down and went to change. Maybe after the training, when Ralph was bringing me home, I could talk to him about how this wasn’t going to work between us. I hoped that he wasn’t too upset about it, but I had to be honest for both of us.

  Once I’d changed, I sat down to eat and grinned. I was going to see Alex sooner than either of us had anticipated. Did he know I was going to be there? Maybe this would be a pleasant surprise for him.

  Ralph texted me when he arrived, and I hurried down to this car. For a moment after I climbed in, I thought he might try to lean over the console and kiss me, but luckily, he didn’t. I didn’t want to have this conversation with him now, not before we had to spend the day sitting in a classroom and working out.

  My stomach quivered slightly as we made small talk, and I wasn’t sure if that was because I needed to tell him about Alex, or because I was about to see Alex again. Either way, I wished that my gut would settle down a bit.

  At the training facility, there were other people heading into the building. Most of them were men, and I wondered what they would think about a woman being here with them. As it turns out, when we got inside, there were two other women already there, and I was glad I wasn’t the only one.

  Alex was standing at the back of the room talking with a couple men, and the moment our eyes met, he gave me the touch of a smile before his gaze cut to Ralph. Then the smile was gone, and he returned his attention to the men in front of him.

  Well, I’d expected something more than that, but I’d let it slide for now. Ralph introduced me to a few people that I didn’t know, and we found seats in the second row. He excused himself to go speak with some of the people, and I sat down, chewing my bottom lip as I wondered why he could possibly want me here. I had a ton of work to do back at the office.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned quickly, hoping that Alex had come to say hello, but found it was Ralph holding a cup of coffee for me. “Here, you like cream, right?”

  Not really. I was a sugar kind of girl, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. “That’s fine, thank you.” I glanced past him as he scooted around me to take his seat, and my gaze landed on Alex. He was frowning at Ralph, but then his eyes slipped to me. I held my breath, dying to see the smile that he usually cast my way, but his boss stepped in front of him and cut off our connection.

  I wasn’t sure I liked that he hadn’t smiled at me or come to say hello. Was he being careful because of my boss? Or was he already regretting our night together? I turned back around and sipped at the strong, hot coffee. At least the cream had cooled it down enough to drink.

  A few of the men came to stand at the front of the room, including Alex, but he put his gaze everywhere but on me. Irritation zipped through my veins as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Whatever. It was one night; what did I expect from him?

  I turned to Ralph and found him watching me. I graced him with a broad smile and hoped that Alex had seen it. When Jake started welcoming everyone, Alex and another man were standing off to the side. Alex was clenching his jaw, a muscle ticking in his cheek. Good, maybe he did see the smile I gave Ralph.

  I turned my attention away from Alex and, instead, listened to what Jake had to say about their company and what we would be doing over the next few days. I hoped that Ralph only wanted me to attend today because I didn’t want to be out of the office all week. Or be in the presence of Alex if he was going to continue to act this way.

  He introduced the other man with Alex as Trevor Vaughn and explained that the three of them had been deployed in the same unit overseas in a previous deployment. For a little while, we listened to each of them give a brief biography of themselves, and I found myself more enthralled with Alex’s story than I should have been.

  In fact, I’d learned more about his past in the few minutes that he spoke than I knew in total about the man. The only thing he left out of his narrative was about his personal life and his daughter. While he spoke, his focus moved around the room, pausing briefly on everyone, including me. When our eyes had locked, he paused his commentary momentarily and then shifted to look a different way.

  What had caused the pause? What did he think as he stared at me? Was he wondering how to let me down easy? Considering what he would do if I did end up pregnant?

  The endless questions in my mind irked me, and I pushed them to the side, glancing over the documents they had passed out to us a few moments earlier. I was glad when he was done speaking, and Jake retook the floor to start the first segment about what to expect when you were arriving in-country.

  I found myself rather intrigued by what they were saying. Not that I would ever have use for such information, but it was interesting. I noticed as I scanned the room that everyone was glued to what Jake, and now, Trevor were saying. They talked for a good hour before they took a break and allowed us to refill our coffee cups and grab a snack off the back table.

  I was trying to decide which pastry I wanted from the tray when someone stepped up beside me. “Nice to see you here, Lexi.”

  The sound of his voice slipped down my spine, but I fought against it. “Is it, Mr. Miller?”

  His brows lowered slightly, then straightened as if he were confused by my comment. “Of course it is.”

  “Well, I sure couldn’t tell,” I snipped back at him and grabbed the first Danish that my hand fell on before turning away from him.

  His hand shot out and grabbed my arm, spilling the hot coffee down my wrist and onto my shirt. “Ouch!”

  He inhaled sharply. “Shit, Lex, I’m sorry.”

  “Why did you do that?” I growled toward him as I went to set my coffee cup down.

  “Because you have the wrong idea here.” He rushed the words out right before Ralph appeared at my side.

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing, I got sloppy,” I told him as Alex’s face went blank again. “Where
is the restroom? I need to clean up.”

  “It’s down the hall to the right.” Alex stated. “I can show you.”

  “That’s okay, I’m sure I can manage.”

  “I have to use the head myself, so it’s not a problem.” He nodded at Ralph, and he began to walk beside me.

  We were out of the room when I glanced back to make sure Ralph wasn’t watching, and I hissed at him, “What the hell was that?”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spill your coffee,” he replied softly.

  “Forget the coffee, why are you practically ignoring me?”

  We reached the bathroom door and paused. The door opened, and the other two ladies from the class came out. One of them looked him up and down, shooting him a smile that made me want to smack her, but I fisted my hands instead.

  “Anyone else in there?” he asked, gruffly.

  “No, we were the only ones in there,” the other woman replied as they began to walk back to the classroom.

  “Thank you,” he called out to them, and before I knew what he was doing, he pushed me into the restroom.

  “What are you doing?”

  He had me up against the wall inside the bathroom in two seconds flat, his mouth crashing over mine, and I couldn’t help myself; I responded instantly.

  He slowed the kiss down, running his hands up the sides of my body, brushing his thumbs along the sides of my breasts. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine. “Do you know how damn hard it was not to kiss you the moment you stepped in the door?”

  I shook my head, unable to form words.

  “Look, I’m not trying to ignore you, but I was specifically told by my boss to stay away from you. He knows your boss has a thing for you, and he doesn’t want this thing between us to screw anything up. Not that he knows there is a thing, but he knows me well enough to know when I have an interest in something.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, oh.” He smiled, his light-gray eyes brightening. “Trust me, if I could, I would let everyone know you were with me.”

  “Am I? With you, that is?”