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“Did you consider that maybe I’m here to keep that promise I made about coming back for you?”
She blinked, not sure she’d heard him correctly. “You aren’t here to ask for a divorce?”
“No. What makes you think I’d want to divorce you?”
She could give him a number of reasons once her head stopped spinning. Instead, she said what was in the forefront of her mind. “Well, it has been five years, Bane.”
“I told you I’d come back for you.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Yes, but I hadn’t counted on it being five years. Five years without a single word from you. Besides, you just said you’ve changed.”
The look in his eyes indicated he was having a hard time keeping up with her. “I have changed, Crystal. Being a SEAL has a way of changing you, but that has nothing to do—”
“SEAL? You’re a navy SEAL?”
“Yes.”
Now she was the one having a hard time keeping up. “I knew you’d joined the navy, but I figured you’d been assigned to a ship somewhere.”
He nodded. “I would have been if my captain in boot camp hadn’t thought I would be a good fit for the SEALs. He cut through a lot of red tape for me to go to the naval academy.”
That was another surprise. “You attended the naval academy?”
“Yes.”
Jeez. She was realizing just how little she knew about what he’d been doing over the past five years. “I didn’t know.”
He shifted his stance and her gaze followed the movement, taking in his long, denim-clad, boot-wearing legs.
“Bailey said the two of you lost contact with each other a couple of years ago,” he said.
Now was the time to come clean and say losing contact with Bailey had been a deliberate move. The periodic calls from his cousin had become depressing since they’d agreed Crystal wouldn’t ask about Bane. Just as he wouldn’t ask Bailey any questions about Crystal.
That had been Bane’s idea. He’d figured the less they knew about the other’s lives, the less chance they had of reneging on their promise not to seek the other out before he could meet his goals.
During one of those conversations Bailey had informed her Bane had set up a bank account for her, in case she ever needed anything. She never had and to this day she’d never withdrawn any funds.
“Even if Bailey and I had kept in touch, she would not have told me what you were doing, just how you were doing. That was the agreement, remember, Bane?”
“You could have called Dil,” he said as he raked his gaze over her.
He was probably taking note of how she’d changed as she’d done with him. He could clearly see she was no longer the eighteen-year-old he’d married, but was now a twenty-three-year-old woman. Her birthday had been two weeks ago. She wondered if he’d remembered.
“No, I couldn’t call your brother, or any other member of your family for that matter, and you know why. They blamed me for you getting into trouble.”
Crystal glanced at her watch again. He’d said he was here to fulfill his promise. If he was doing it because he felt obligated then she would release him from it. Although asking for a divorce might not have been his original intent, she was certain it was crossing his mind now. Why wouldn’t it? They were acting like strangers instead of two people who’d once been so obsessed with each other they’d eloped. Why weren’t they all over each other? Why was he over there and she still standing over here? The answer to both questions was so brutally clear she had to force tears from her eyes.
Like he said, he had changed. He was a SEAL. Something other than her was number one in his life now. More than likely it had been his missions that had kept him away all this time. He’d chosen what he really wanted.
“Crystal, I have a question for you.”
His words interrupted her thoughts. “What?”
“Why did you come to the door with a gun?”
* * *
It had taken every ounce of Bane’s control not to cross the room and pull his wife into his arms. How often had he dreamed of this moment, wished for it, yearned for it? But things weren’t playing out like he’d hoped.
Although he’d taken heed to Zane’s warning and not swept her off her feet and headed for the nearest bedroom, he hadn’t counted on not getting at least a kiss, a hug...something. But she stood there as if she wasn’t sure what to make of his appearance here tonight. And he still couldn’t grasp why she assumed he wanted a divorce just because he’d told her he’d changed. He’d changed for the better, not only for himself but also for her. Now he had something to offer her. He could give her the life she deserved.
Crystal nibbled her bottom lip, which had always been an indication she was nervous about something. Damn, she looked good. Time had only enhanced her beauty, and where in the hell had all those curves come from?
She had changed into a pair of skinny jeans, a pullover sweater and boots. She looked all soft and feminine. So gorgeous. Her hair was not as long as it used to be. Instead of flowing past her shoulders it barely touched them. The new style suited her. How had she managed to keep the guys away? He was certain that with her beauty there had been a number of men who’d come around over the years.
Even now Bane’s hands itched to touch her all over like he used to. He would give anything to run his fingers across the curve of her hips and buttocks and cup her breasts.
“The gun?”
Her question pulled his concentration back to their conversation. Probably for the best, since the thought of what he wanted to do with his hands was turning him on big-time. “Yes. I watched you get out of your car to come into the house and you seemed nervous. Is something going on? Is some man harassing you or stalking you?”
She lifted a brow. “A man stalking me? What makes you think that?”
He held her gaze. “I told you. I noticed you were nervous and—”
“Yes, I got that part,” she interrupted to say. “But what makes you think any man would stalk me?”
Had she looked in the mirror lately? If she’d asked him why he thought she was being stalked, then he could have told her that his SEAL training had taught him how to zero in on certain things. But her question had been what made him think any man would want to stalk her. That was a different question altogether. He could see a man becoming obsessed with her. Hadn’t Bane?
“You’re a very beautiful woman. You’ve always been beautiful, Crystal. You’re even more so now.”
She shook her head. “Beautiful? You’re laying it on thick, aren’t you, Bane?”
“No, I don’t think so. Level with me. Is there some man stalking you? Is that why you had the gun? And what’s with the luggage? You’re going someplace?”
She broke eye contact with him to shrug. “The gun is to protect myself.”
Bane had a feeling that wasn’t all there was to it. When he’d first walked into her house he’d seen the luggage, but his mind had been solely on her, entranced with her beauty. This older version of Crystal sent his heart pounding into overdrive. It had been a long time. Too long.
He turned his concentration back to what she’d just told him. “You have the gun to protect yourself... I can buy that, although this seems to be a pretty safe neighborhood,” he said. “But that doesn’t explain why you were ready to shoot. Has your home been broken into before?”
“No.”
“Then what’s going on?”
Even after all this time he still could read her like a book. She had a tendency to lick her lips when she was nervous, and unconsciously shift her body from side to side while standing on the balls of her feet. He could tell she was trying to decide how to answer his question. That didn’t sit well with him. In the past, he and Crystal never kept secrets from each other. So why was she doing so now?
“After all this time, you don’t have the right to ask me anything, Bane.”
You’re wrong about that, sweetheart.
Without thinking about what he was doing, he closed the distance separating them to stand directly in front of her. “I believe I do have that right. As long as we’re still legally married, Crystal, I have every right.”
She lifted her chin and pinched her lips together. “Fine. Then, we can get a divorce.”
“Not happening.” He rubbed his hand down his face. What the hell was going on here? Not only was this reunion not going the way he’d wanted, it had just taken a bad turn.
He looked at her, somewhat bewildered by her refusal to answer his question. “I’m asking again, Crystal. What’s going on with you? Why the gun and the packed luggage?”
When she didn’t answer, standing there with a mutinous expression on her face, he then asked the one question he hadn’t wanted to ask, but needed to know. And he hoped like hell he was wrong.
“Are you involved with someone who’s causing you problems?”
Three
That question set Crystal off. She took the final step to completely close the distance between them. “Involved with someone? Are you accusing me of being unfaithful?”
“Not accusing you of anything,” he said in a tone that let her know her outrage had fueled his. “But I find it odd you won’t answer my question. Why are you acting so secretive? You’ve never acted that way with me before.”
No, she hadn’t. But then the Bane she used to know, the one she’d loved more than life itself, would not have forgotten her for five years. He would have moved heaven, hell and any place in between to have her with him so the two of them could be together.
“You’re not the only one who’s changed. Just like you’re not the same, I’m not the same.”
They faced off. She didn’t see him move, but suddenly his body brushed against hers and she drew in a sharp breath. The touch had been electric, sending a sizzle through her. Suddenly, her mind was filled with memories of the last time they’d touched. Really touched. All over. Naked. Those memories were enough to ignite a fire in the pit of her stomach.
“You may not be the same,” he said, breaking into the silence between them, speaking in a low tone, “but you kept your wedding vows.”
He spoke with such absolute certainty, she wondered how he could be so sure. But of course he was right. “Yes, I kept them.”
He nodded. “And before doubt starts clouding that pretty little head of yours, let me go on record to say that I might not be the same, but I kept my wedding vows, as well.”
There was no way. Not that she didn’t think he would have tried, but she knew when it came to sex, some men classified it as a must have. She of all people knew how much the old Bane had enjoyed it. There was no reason to think the new and different Bane wouldn’t like it just as much. Just look at him. He was more masculine, more virile—so macho. Even if he hadn’t targeted women, they would definitely have targeted him.
“Now that we have that cleared up...”
Did they? “Not so fast,” she said, trying to ignore it when his body brushed against hers again. Had it been intentional? And why hadn’t one of them taken a step back? “What kept you sane?”
“Sane?”
“Yes. You know. From climbing the walls and stuff. I heard men need sex every so often.”
He smiled and the force of it sent her senses reeling. “Remind me to give you all the details one day. Now, back to our earlier topic, why did you come to the door with a gun and why the packed bags?”
They were back to that?
But then maybe they should be. She needed to call a cab and get to the airport. And just like she didn’t want to involve her mother and Aunt Rachel in whatever was going on, she definitely didn’t want to involve Bane. Maybe she should have lied and said she was involved with someone else. Then he would have gotten angry and left, and she would be free to do as the note advised and disappear. Whatever was going on was her issue and not his.
She nibbled her lips as she tried coming up with something that would sound reasonable. Something that wasn’t too much of a lie. So she said, “The reason for the packed luggage is because I’m taking a trip.”
He looked at her as if to say duh. Instead, he held her gaze and asked, “Business or pleasure?”
“Business.”
“Where are you headed?”
If she told him the Bahamas, he would question if it really was a business trip, so she said, “Chicago.”
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
She blinked, suddenly feeling anxiety closing in on her. “Go with me?”
“Yes. I’m on leave so I can do that,” he said calmly. “Besides, it’s time I got to know you again, and I want you to get to know me.”
She drew in a breath, feeling her control deteriorating. Those hazel eyes had always been her weakness.
She knew she was a goner when he asked in a husky voice, “You do want to get to know me all over again, don’t you, Crystal Gayle?”
Getting to know Brisbane Westmoreland the first time around had been like a roller coaster, and she’d definitely enjoyed the ride. There was no doubt that getting to know the new Bane would be even more exhilarating. Now she could enjoy the ride as a woman in control of her own destiny and not as a girl whose life was dictated by her parents. A woman who was older, mature and could appreciate the explosiveness of a relationship with him.
As if he knew what she was thinking and wanted to drive that point home, he caressed the side of her face with the tip of his finger. “I definitely want to get to know you again, Crystal.”
Then he brought her body closer to his. She felt his erection pressing hard against her middle and a craving she’d tried to put to rest years ago reared its greedy head, making her force back a moan. When his finger left her face to tug on a section of her hair, sensations she hadn’t felt in years ran rampant through her womb.
She stared into his eyes. Hazel eyes that had literally branded her the first time she’d gazed into them. Eyes belonging to Bane. Her Bane. And he had admitted just moments ago to keeping their vows all this time. That meant he had five years of need and hunger stored inside him. The thought sent heated blood racing through her veins.
Then he shifted. The movement nudged his knees between hers so she could feel his hard bulge even more. Intentional or not, she wasn’t sure. The only thing she was certain about was that if she didn’t get her self-control back, she would jump his bones without a second thought. And that wasn’t good. She didn’t even know him anymore.
He leaned in slowly—too slowly, which let her know this side of Bane wasn’t different...at least when it came to this. He’d always let her establish the pace, so as not to take advantage of the difference in their ages and experience levels. She’d always known she hadn’t been Bane’s first girl, but he’d been her first guy. And he’d always handled her with tenderness.
Bane was letting her take the lead now, and she intended to take it to a whole other level. At that moment, she didn’t care that they’d both changed; she wanted his hands on her and his tongue in her mouth. To be totally honest, she needed more but she would settle for those two things now...even if she knew there probably wouldn’t be a later.
He bent his head closer, and she refused to consider anything other than what she wanted, needed and had gone five years without. She clutched tight to his shoulders and leaned up on tiptoes to cover his mouth with hers.
* * *
Bane wasn’t sure what was more dangerous. Storming an extremist stronghold in the middle of the night, or having his way with Crystal’s mouth after all these years of going without her taste. But now was not the time to dwell on it. It was time to act.
The way their mouths mated seemed as natural as breathing, and he was glad time had not diminished the desire they’d always shared.
When she slid her tongue inside his mouth, memories of the last time they’d kissed flooded his mind. It had been on their wedding day, during their honeymoon in a small hotel in Utah. He recalled very little about the room itself, only what they’d done within those four walls. And they’d done plenty.
But now, this very minute, they were making new memories. He had dreamed about, thought about and wished for this moment for so long. She took the kiss deeper and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, loving the feel of her body plastered against his.
He loved her taste. Always had and always would. When she sucked on his tongue, his heartbeat thundered in his chest and his erection throbbed mercilessly behind his zipper. He was tempted to devour her and tried like hell to keep his self-control in check. But it became too much. Five years without her had taken its toll.
Suddenly he became the aggressor, taking her mouth with a hunger he felt all the way to the soles of his feet. He wanted her to feel him in every part of her body. And when he finally caught her wriggling tongue, he feasted on it.
The one thing that had consumed his mind on their wedding day was the same thing consuming his mind right now. Crystal was his. Undeniably, unquestionably and indisputably his.
He thrust his tongue even deeper into her mouth. He knew he had to pull back; otherwise he would consume her whole. Especially now, when he was filled with the need to do the one thing he shouldn’t do, which was to sweep her off her feet and head for the nearest bedroom. He had wanted this moment for so long... Kissing her filled him with sensations so deliciously intoxicating that he could barely think straight.
Bane knew he was embarking on a mission more dangerous than any he’d gone on as a SEAL. Crystal had always been both his weakness and his strength. She was an ache he’d always had to ease. Some way, somehow, he had to show her, prove to her, that any changes he’d made over the past five years were all good and would benefit both of them. Otherwise, the time they’d spent apart would have been for nothing. He refused to accept that.
Reluctant to do so but knowing he should, Bane ended the kiss. But he wasn’t ready to release her yet and his hands moved from her waist to boldly cup her backside. And while she was snuggled so close to him, his hands moved up and down the length of her spine before returning to cup her backside again. Now that she was back in his life, he couldn’t imagine her being out of it again.
That thought drove him to reiterate something he’d said earlier. “I’m going to Chicago with you.”
* * *
Slowly recovering from their kiss, Crystal tilted her head back and gazed up at Bane. Her lips had ground against his. Her tongue had initiated a dance inside his mouth that had been as perfect as anything she’d ever known. And he had reciprocated by kissing her back with equal need. Waves of passion had consumed her, nearly drowning her.
But now she had reclaimed her senses and the words he’d spoken infiltrated her mind. She knew there was no way he could go anywhere with her. She was about to open her mouth to tell him so when her cell phone rang. She tensed. Who could be contacting her? She seldom got calls.
“You plan on getting that?” Bane murmured the question while placing a kiss on the side of her neck.
She swallowed. Should she? It could be the airline calling her for some reason. She had left them her number in case her flight was delayed or canceled. “Yes,” she said, quickly moving away from him to grab the phone off the table, right next to where she had laid the gun. Seeing the weapon was a reminder of what she had to do and why she couldn’t let Bane sidetrack her.
She clicked on her cell phone. “Hello?”
“Don’t try getting away, Ms. Newsome. We will find you.” And then she heard a click ending the call.
Crystal’s heart thumped painfully in her chest. Who was the caller? How did the person get her private number? How did the person know she was trying to get away? She turned toward Bane. Something in her eyes must have told him the call had troubled her because he quickly crossed the room to her. “Crystal, what’s wrong?”
She took a deep breath, not knowing what to do or say. She stared up at him as she nervously bit her lip. Should she level with Bane and tell him everything that was going on? The note had said not to trust anyone, but how could she not trust the one and only person she’d always trusted?
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” she said quietly.
She pulled away to reach for her purse and retrieve the note. “I got this note at work today,” she said, handing it to him. “And I don’t know who sent it.”
She waited while he read it and when he glanced back up at her, she said, “Yesterday someone broke into my locker at work, and I noticed someone following me home today.”
“Following you?”
“Yes. I thought maybe I was imagining things at first, but when the driver stayed discreetly behind me, I knew that I wasn’t. I deliberately lost the car in all the holiday shoppers at one of the busiest malls.”
“What about that phone call just now?” he asked, studying her.
She told him what the caller had said. “I don’t know who it was or how they got my number.”
Bane didn’t say anything for a minute. “Is that the reason for the packed bags? You’re doing what the note said and disappearing?”
“Yes. Those guys said craziness might start happening and—”
Bane frowned. “What guys?”
“Last month while I was eating lunch at a restaurant near work, I was approached by two government men. They showed me credentials to prove it. They knew about the project I’m working on at Seton and said Homeland Security was concerned about my research getting into the wrong hands. They offered me a chance to work for the government at some lab in DC, along with two other chemists who’re working on similar research.”
“And?”
“I turned them down. They accepted my answer, but warned me that there were people out there with criminal intent who would do just about anything to get their hands on my research. They gave me their business card and told me to call them if any craziness happened.”
“Have you called them?”
“No. After reading the note I wasn’t sure who I could trust. At this point that includes Homeland Security.”
“Do you still have the business card those guys gave you?”
“Yes.”
“May I see it?”
“Yes.” She reached for her purse again. She handed the card to him and watched him study it before snapping several pictures of it with his mobile phone.
“What are you doing?”
He glanced over at her. “Verifying those guys are who they say they are. I’m sending this to someone who can do that for me.” He then handed her back the card. “Just what kind of research are you working on?”
She paused a moment before saying. “Obscured Reality, or OR as it’s most often called.”
“Obscured Reality?”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s the ability to make objects invisible.”
Four
Bane lifted a brow. “Did you say your research was finding a way to make objects invisible?”
“Yes. Although it hasn’t been perfected yet, it won’t be long before I perform the first test.”
Because he was a SEAL, Bane was aware of advances in technology that most people didn’t know about, especially when it came to advanced weapons technology. But he’d never considered that objects could become invisible to the naked eye. He could imagine the chaos it would cause if such a thing fell into the wrong hands.
“And you think this note is legit?” he asked.
“If I doubted it before, that phone call pretty much proved otherwise. That’s why I’m leaving.”
He nodded. “And that’s why I’m going with you.”
She shook her head. “You can’t go with me, Bane, and I don’t have time to argue with you about it. I need to get to the airport.”
Argue?
It suddenly dawned on him that in all the years he and Crystal had been together, mostly sneaking around to do so, they’d never argued. They had always been of one accord, always in sync with their thoughts, plans and ideas. The very concept of them not agreeing about something just couldn’t compute with him. Of course it would be logical not to be in complete harmony since they were different people now.