Page 30 of SEAL's Target

He cocked his head, studying her. “You’re not bored here in Hawaii? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy as hell that you ended up on Oahu. I was just curious since your entire life used to be one trip after another. I get it; that’s sort of how my career works, too. But I’d imagine at some point you might get the urge to travel again.”

“Yes and no. This is a new place for me, believe it or not. I actually had never been to Honolulu before.”

“So you’ve been to other islands,” he assessed. “No, I got it,” he added as he gestured for her to sit and began to clear the dishes himself. “I may not cook, but I can clean up.”

Callie looked at him in astonishment as he stacked her plate on top of his and rose from the table. He walked toward her sink, feeling her eyes on him. She wasn’t gawking at his body. She was shocked by his gesture. “So which islands have you been to?” he asked, going ahead and loading the dirty dishes right into her dishwasher. Callie looked like her jaw might drop to the floor, which made him want to chuckle. It also gave him the urge to help her out even more. Cleaning up after dinner was nothing, but he could tell she was used to doing everything on her own. Clearly, she was capable, but just like when he’d carried her backpack on their hike, it was because he wanted to lessen her burden.

“Thanks,” she finally said. Callie stood and grabbed his empty beer bottle and her wineglass, moving toward the counter. “I’ve been to Maui and the Big Island. Both of them were incredible.”

“Maui is gorgeous. Kauai, too. I haven’t made it to the Big Island yet. Maybe someday,” he added as he closed the dishwasher. “Thank you again for dinner,” he said, pulling her in for a short kiss. He ended it before things got too heated, because he still wanted to get to the bottom of her online troubles. “I hate to put a damper on things, especially when I’d rather keep kissing you, but can you show me the comments on your blog? It’s going to bother me if we don’t look into it.”

“Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “The comments were sort of strange. Besides, I don’t want to leave the blog up very long. I was getting emails from some of my followers asking if everything went dark because I’m planning something big. I’d rather keep up the mystery in case I do eventually get back to it.”

“That’s smart. No reason to burn your bridges, so to speak. If going dark keeps them talking for the time being, I suppose that’s good for business.”

“Exactly.”

“Let’s go sit in the living room,” he suggested, taking her hand. It felt soft and small in his own, but it also felt right to pull Callie close. She looked slightly upset now that he’d mentioned the blog, and he hated that it was bothering her. Wyatt was anxious to see the comments. While he understood not wanting to travel right away after surviving the hijacking, it surprised him to learn she’d taken all of her work down. Something was going on, and he needed to see if it was anything to be concerned about.

“Let me just grab my laptop,” she said, giving his hand a quick squeeze before pulling away to walk down the hall. Wyatt watched her go, her sundress moving around her bare legs. He wasn’t about to follow her into her bedroom uninvited, but hell. The idea of Callie in her private, personal space intrigued him.

She flipped on the light, and he saw her grab her laptop from her bed. The turquoise bedspread suited her. It was cheerful but somehow also calm like the ocean on a sunny day. She had sheer white curtains up over her blinds, and a quick scan from his vantage point in the living room told him she was neat and organized. He could see a pair of sandals on the floor, but her bedroom looked neat and tidy. His lips twitched as he saw a pair of panties on her dresser—so not entirely tidy, then. Imagining Callie in her lingerie had his libido rising, and he willed himself to calm down.

She turned and walked down the hallway toward him, hugging the laptop to her chest. A feeling of protectiveness washed over him at her uncertainty. She was worried, at least about this. Callie was generally playful and fun, with a laidback attitude about life, which he loved. She was similar to him in so many ways, it was surprising. Their personalities just clicked. He might be slightly more assertive than she was, but he didn’t see that as an issue. Wyatt had no problem taking the lead in their relationship—both in and out of the bedroom. If she wanted something in particular or needed something from him, well, he had no issue with that either. As he watched her, he realized he’d do whatever she wanted to make her happy.

“I got my laptop,” she said unnecessarily as she walked back into the living room. Her face softened as she looked at him.

“What’s that smile for?” he asked, a funny feeling stirring in his chest.

“I just like having you here,” she admitted.

“Funny. I was just thinking the same thing. I like being at your place. Hanging out at Coconuts with our friends was fun, but I like spending time alone with you.”

“We’re good with the last-minute dates, aren’t we?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Dinner at Coconuts was a total surprise. Then last weekend was spur of the moment with the hike to the waterfall.”

“Hazard of my job,” Wyatt said. “I really thought I’d be stuck working all Sunday, but I promise to plan something special for us ahead of time one of these days.”

“I don’t need some big, fancy dinner,” she said.

“I know. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to take you out anyway though. Now. Show me your blog, and we’ll see if we can get to the bottom of this.”

SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Callie was dozing off in Wyatt’s arms. They’d gone through the comments one by one, Wyatt making sure she sent the screenshots to him. Callie had been stressed, worrying there was someone really after her. Wyatt’s gut had churned as he read the words someone had left for her. Who the hell had sought her out and what did they think she knew? Callie was an innocent passenger, just like all of the other hostages. It was concerning. Wyatt hoped it was just some type of hoax, a cyber bully of sorts targeting her.

But if not?

He didn’t like that someone claimed they would find her. Hell. He scrubbed a hand over his face, careful not to jostle Callie. They’d eventually turned on the TV after looking through the comments, needing something mindless to watch. Callie had put on a cooking show while Wyatt reviewed the comments a second time. She’d been upset, and he’d pulled her close, assuring her that she was safe with him. As the minutes ticked by, she’d gradually relaxed against him. Wyatt loved that she felt safe enough to fall asleep in his arms but hated the reason she’d become upset.

Glancing down at her now, Wyatt let his fingers lightly trail over her blonde hair. She was exhausted and didn’t even stir. Callie had told him that she didn’t always sleep well since the hijacking, and he hated that she was having nightmares. Callie didn’t deserve any of this, and he swore he’d do whatever he needed in order to protect her. She shifted in her sleep against him, and he tugged the blanket more fully over her. She looked soft and sweet nestled against him, but her sundress clung to her breasts in a way that made his pulse pound. He hoped she wore the same dress again someday for him. At the moment, she needed his comfort and support. Another time, he’d love to kiss her thoroughly, tugging down the straps on her feminine dress, exploring the pretty curves of her breasts, listening to her whimpers and gasps as he touched and tasted her.

He looked back at the TV, trying to get his thoughts back on track. Callie didn’t need him staring at her while she slept. She was fully covered in her dress and the blanket, but he’d have to be blind not to see how attractive she was. Wyatt’s body yearned for her, and he hoped someday he had the privilege to explore all of her, the right to touch and kiss her exactly the way he wanted.

The cooking show continued, but he was lost in thought. He’d speak with some of the IT guys on base. Maybe there was a way to figure out who the comments had come from. They might mean nothing—a prank, someone seeking attention. Anything was possible. The feeling in his gut told him otherwise. Callie had been singled out on that damn plane. Was it possible someone was truly looking for her now?

A few minutes later, Callie began to mumble in her sleep. Wyatt smoothed a hand over her head, trying to soothe her, when she awoke with a start.

“No, no!” she cried out, twisting in his embrace.

“Callie, it’s me,” Wyatt said quietly, holding her. “It’s Wyatt. You’re safe.”

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