Page 75 of Love Me Knot

I have no motivation to coax my body out of bed the next morning. Jackson and I spent half the night tangled up, and I’m deliciously sore from head to toe. It isn’t until Jackson snakes a hand beneath the covers to squeeze my bare ass that I even open my eyes. The man is freshly showered, covered in just a towel. Droplets of water still decorate his fantastic abs and chest, tempting me to lick them off. I am terribly thirsty.

“That’s a dangerous look,” Jackson teases.

“You have no idea. What time is it?”

“Almost seven. I give Bash an hour at most before he’s calling one or both of us.”

“Or less.”

I push back the covers and sit up. Jackson ogles me, and I fight the urge to pull the sheet to my chest. The man shakes his head, bringing him out of his stupor. “I can order some breakfast while you shower.”

“Sounds good. I’ll eat anything and a lot of it. You completely drained me last night.”

I stand and start for the bathroom, and Jackson smacks me on the ass. “I wanted to be sure you were too tired to move.”

“Mission accomplished.”

I shower quickly, and we eat breakfast before I lose the coin toss to call Bastien. Jackson settles in the side chair to watch, wearing a wry grin. I stick my tongue out at him, press the call button, and brace myself.

“I was about to come looking for you. Dammit, Chelsea. Are you alright?”

I feel horrible at the panic in Bash’s voice. “I’m fine, and not the bullshit fake fine, either.”

Bash’s sigh is a long one. “I’m sorry it took so long to get you out. We weren’t prepared for Harding’s curveball and left you hanging.”

“No. It may look that way, but I made the perfect clean break. Harding will never contact me again, and I have a good reason to stay away. I just hate that I couldn’t get the traitor’s name. Now that Harding is out of the picture, we’ll have to start over somewhere else. Meanwhile, Harding and his buddy get to keep killing troops and setting up PMCs to take the fall.”

“Not according to our favorite CEO,” Bash announces proudly. “He’s already viewed the footage from last night and had Birdie permanently alter the video file. If you check the news this morning, you’ll see a juicy exposé about a certain congressman’s extramarital affair. Harding will be out of play, which means our mole in the Pentagon will have to spend his energy finding another mouthpiece.”

That means my nightmare wasn’t a waste, at least. “That’s better than nothing, I guess. So, when do we take off for Norfolk?”

“We’re ready to go when you are.”

I glance over at Jackson, who winks playfully. “Okay. Meet us outside in ten minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I shove the phone in my pocket and cast a sultry glance toward Jackson. “You wanna get out of here, sailor?”

“I’ll go anywhere with you, Mrs. Bennett.”

Rolling my eyes, I pick up my bag and walk toward the door.

The ride to the airport and flight back to Norfolk are uneventful. During the short trip, I check out the news reports of the now-disgraced congressman. I ignore most of the articles’ content, searching instead for any clues that I may be compromised.

The only mentions I find are those of a mystery woman whose identity is unknown. My whisper of Jackson’s name isn’t audible, either. His voice, however, is. That worries me a little_more like a lot. I don’t know what that could mean for him. Hopefully nothing.

Speaking of Jackson, he takes my bag and my hand when we arrive at the front entrance of the Knot Corporation. Dillan Knot and Commander O’Reilly wait at the door for us and offer no acknowledgment of Jackson’s very public display of affection. After carrying me from a room over his shoulder, I suppose a little handholding is nothing.

I let go of Jackson and approach my boss. “I’m sorry, sir. I’d hoped I could get a name and end all this.”

“You did just fine, Chelsea,” he insists.

O’Reilly adds, “Between your recordings and our ambush mission, we have enough evidence to take to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army. They’ll launch an investigation to find the leak. They find the leak, and they find the traitor. It’s all but over now.”

“You guys take a few days,” Knot orders my colleagues and me. “I think you’ve earned it. Bennett, I’m afraid I can’t do anything for you.”

The SEAL commander chuckles. “Oh, I think the lieutenant is due for a few days’ leave.”

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