Iron Willed Warrior (Last Refuge Protectors #5)

31. Cole

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Cole

Brynn stripped down to her bra and panties. The same ones she’d been wearing when we left the resort. This bedroom had an attached bath. She went in for a few minutes of privacy while I took off my filthy shirt, discarding it in the corner.

A glance in the mirror showed a new collection of scrapes and bruises. Most were likely from my fight with Ryker. And my head still throbbed faintly. Ouch.

Then the bathroom door opened, and Brynn peeked into the room. “Coming in with me?” She sucked in a gasp, stepping out. “Jeez, Cole. You’re hurt.”

“Not too badly.”

She gently touched my side, fingers tracing the outlines of the bruises. “Looks awful. I’d suggest going to the hospital, but there would be questions. Stanford could find a doctor to come here.”

I smiled, holding her wrist and lifting her hand to kiss it. “I’m fine. I promise.”

“Do you?” Brynn had dark circles beneath her eyes, and yet when she looked at me, her focus was sharp.

“Yeah. I’m going to run you a bath. Sound good? ”

I went into the bathroom and knelt to turn on the water. This tub was standard, nowhere near big enough for both of us. But that was okay. Brynn was my concern right now. When the water was high enough, I coaxed her in. She was naked, but I wasn’t concentrating on that. I lathered soap in my hands and smoothed them over her skin, washing away the traces of the last couple of days.

Her long hair wasn’t that easy to wash without my fingers getting tangled, so she took over, but we were both laughing.

“Your turn,” she said after a rinse in the shower and draining the cloudy water away.

Fresh water poured in. I pushed down my pants and boxers, my entire body conscious of her eyes on me. I sat on the edge of the tub and took off my prosthesis, which she set carefully in the bedroom.

The hot water felt like magic on my sore muscles. Though she’d barely dried off, Brynn knelt outside the tub to wash me. And now, her nakedness was a lot more…stimulating.

With heavy eyelids, she spread suds all over me. Rubbing my shoulders and arms and pecs. I couldn’t help it. My cock hardened and lengthened until it was stretching out of the water. I groaned when her slick fist closed around my shaft. Stroked me.

“We should get to bed,” I said hoarsely. Meaning sleep. Because I had meant to take care of her for purely benevolent, unselfish reasons.

“You’re right,” Brynn purred. “We should.”

I groaned again. A guy was only so strong. I was so exhausted I could barely think straight. All I knew was that I had to have her.

I finished up with the bath as quickly as possible. Soon, Brynn and I were stretched out in the bed on the cool sheets, blankets pushed to our feet. Kissing with our bodies pressed together, naked skin to naked skin. I teased her nipples between my fingers while my tongue slid into her mouth.

Brynn wrapped her legs around my hips, her ankles crossed. I rocked against her, feeling how wet she was. Ready for me. Washing each other had been extended foreplay. But this was more than just a physical urge. After what we’d experienced during the mission, being close with her now meant so much. We had survived. We were here, together, and we had won .

But the truth was that I wanted even more.

Somehow, I gathered up my scattered thoughts. Pushed up onto my elbows to look down at her.

“What is it?” she asked. “Why aren’t you kissing me?”

“The mission is pretty much over now. Stanford and Trace took it out of our hands. I want to know what you’re doing next. Going back to the FBI?”

She frowned. “I thought about it. Would you blame me if I did?”

I lay on my side next to her. Rested a hand on her waist and waited for her to turn to face me. “My hang-up about the FBI was overblown. I do trust you now, completely, because I’ve seen the kind of woman you are. The kind of warrior you are.”

“Thank you. I trust you too. I said that before, and I meant it.”

“But you didn’t really. That’s the reason you didn’t tell me about your reports to Stanford.”

She looked guilty, and I stroked a finger beneath her chin, lifting it.

“I’m not mad,” I said. “I get that trust isn’t easy for you. But here’s what I’m asking. Do you think, eventually, you could trust me with your heart?”

Brynn’s eyes went glassy. She blinked fast.

“I know you’re scared. Some asshole didn’t love you the way you deserve. And yet you’ve proven again and again how brave you are, no matter how scary shit gets. Give me a chance to take care of you, B. For real. Come to Mexico with me. Hang out. Give me some time so we can see where this goes.”

Indecision played across her face. “That sounds amazing, just like it did when you brought it up at the resort. But I thought you meant a vacation.”

“It can start as a vacation. I’m hoping it’ll turn into more.”

“You’re serious? What you’re talking about… We barely know each other beyond this mission.”

“Exactly. We’ve seen each other’s best, and some of our worst. Let’s fill in the rest of the story.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Why can’t it be?” We were both lonely. Both broken-hearted, in our own unique ways. But we’d found each other.

I didn’t believe in happy endings. Good deeds rarely ended well, and trust ended up in betrayal. Except…my gut told me that Brynn and me could be different.

“How is it possible that you’re this perfect?” she asked.

“I’m not even close to perfect. I don’t have a single edge that isn’t rough. But maybe I could be a perfect fit for you.” I leaned forward for a slow kiss.

We made love just as soft and slow as those whispers we’d shared. Lying on our sides and facing one another, I draped her upper leg high across my hip and worked my way in. Small, rocking movements. Sweet, deep kisses. My fingers tangling in her damp hair. My cock slid in and out of her snug body. The pleasure combined with the exhaustion in my brain made me feel drunk.

I grunted against her lips. “I can’t believe how good you feel around me. ”

“Perfect fit,” she murmured. Pupils dilated, a blissed expression on her gorgeous features.

We found our release together. Mouths sealed in a kiss, arms around each other. Never letting go even as we both drifted into the oblivion of sleep.

All I wanted was a chance. I just hoped I’d convinced her to give it to me.

I woke a few hours later, my stomach grumbling. Brynn was passed out cold. I scooted out of the bed, careful to tuck the blankets around her. Then put on my prosthesis, got dressed, and went out to the kitchen to search for food.

Unfortunately, I found Special Agent in Charge Stanford setting down a collection of plastic grocery bags on the counter. Like he had just gotten back.

He nodded at me. “Mr. Bailey.”

“Agent Stanford.” My voice was rough from sleep, but that wasn’t really the reason that his name had come out coated in bitterness.

“Trace is still with our guest. I expect he will be for a while. I thought I should swing by a Walmart, stock up on food and some clothes for you and Brynn. Since you didn’t appear to have any luggage.”

This was accurate, but for some reason, his comment made my hackles raise. “Somehow our bags got misplaced in between being kidnapped and barely escaping with our lives.” Maybe his FBI strike team would recover our belongings, but I wasn’t holding my breath.

He responded like he hadn’t noticed my sarcasm. “Hopefully I got your sizes right. Had to call my wife, Marie, for help with Brynn’s. I tried to cover the bases. Boots and coats for heading back to the mountains. ”

“Thanks. Appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. I would do anything for Brynn.”

Ah. So he was marking his territory. Stanford was way too old for her and had mentioned a wife, so I assumed this was some kind of pseudo father-daughter thing. I chose not to respond. I had nothing to prove to this guy.

Taking the bags of clothing, I quietly left them in our bedroom so Brynn would find them when she woke up.

Hopefully, she’d have answers to my questions too. The answers I wanted. But now that I’d slept and my head was clearer, I was far less confident. Would Brynn really be willing to leave Colorado and her law enforcement career to run away with me? Become a renegade bounty hunter, like I had? What kind of fantasy was I living in?

I returned to the kitchen to make myself a sandwich, thanking him again for the supplies, and carried it out to the back porch.

It was late afternoon. Open desert stretched out around us. There were no saguaro cactuses like in Arizona, but this part of Colorado was just as arid. I was alone with my anxious thoughts for a few minutes as I ate.

Until Stanford barged through the back door and took the other chair. “How’s Brynn doing?” he asked. “She didn’t really answer me earlier. She doesn’t like appearing weak. None of us does. But I need to know.”

I considered my response. “She’s doing well. Resting.”

“Good.”

“She’d be doing even better if you can guarantee Garon Westwick will never see the light of day again. Not so much for what he did to Brynn as for all the other harm he caused.”

“Gladly. On that point, I believe that we all agree.”

I nodded, thinking the conversation was over. Maybe Agent Stanford wasn’t such a bad guy .

But then he had to ruin the moment when he kept talking.

“Bailey, I’d like to express my gratitude to you for getting Brynn back here safe. Obviously she played a sizable role in the success of your mission as well. I’m not diminishing that. But I had serious doubts about you when this began. You managed to come through.”

I felt a scowl twisting up my features. “That sounded more like an insult than a compliment.”

“It was the truth. Nothing more.” He brushed some invisible lint from his jeans. The denim had a crease down the legs, like he ironed them. Or his wife did. “Brynn means a great deal to me. I recruited her when she was a Marine. I’ve seen her growth as an agent. And also the setbacks she’s experienced on a personal level. She would hate the fact that I’m saying any of this to you.”

“I’m sure she would.” I set my plate near my feet and stared into the distance, hoping he’d get the message.

“But as someone who cares about her like she’s my family, it needs to be said. I’ve gotten the impression that, after the ordeal you two shared, you have come to mean a great deal to her as well.”

I clenched my jaw. “I’m not taking advantage of her. If that’s what you’re trying to get at.”

“I’m just trying to get a better sense of the kind of man you are. Do you see a future with her?”

“I do,” I gritted out. “Not that it’s your business.”

I expected him to say more. To give me all the usual break her heart and I ’ ll have my agents kill you warnings. But instead, he crossed his legs and went quiet. I thought about going back inside, but damned if I would retreat from this guy. I’d been enjoying the fresh air and the view before he barged out here.

A cigarette. That was what I needed. But when I patted around at my pockets, they were all empty .

“Ryker,” I mumbled. “Asshole made me lose my smokes.”

Stanford dug into the pocket of his windbreaker. And to my surprise, he pulled out a pack of Marlboros. Held them out. “Marie isn’t a fan of me smoking. So when I’m out in the field, I sometimes indulge.”

“I assumed you were an overgrown, uptight Boy Scout. Like most FBI agents.”

He chuckled. “Then you might be surprised.”

I took a cigarette, followed by his lighter when he offered it. I lit up, took a drag, and handed the lighter back. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem.”

Then he launched into a story.

“Marie was the girl next door when I was growing up. A few years younger than me, so our paths didn’t cross all that much. But one summer, when I was home on leave, she came knocking on the door in the middle of the night. The military had turned me into a light sleeper, so I made it to the door before my family woke up. Turned out her ex-boyfriend was stalking her. He had just come by her house when her parents were out of town, tried to get inside. She didn’t call the police because she had tried that before, and they hadn’t done anything. Instead, she had remembered the Marine next door.”

I wondered where this story was going. But somehow, I was already hooked. I wanted to know the end of it. Probably because I could imagine how I would’ve reacted if I had been him.

“My Marie was no damsel in distress. She wasn’t looking for a rescuer. She wanted a partner in crime. By the time my leave was over about a week later, I had fallen for her hard and fast. I asked her to marry me six months later. That was forty-five years ago.”

“But what about the stalker ex-boyfriend? ”

A grin slowly appeared on his face. “We made sure he never bothered her again. My point is, I do understand how a stressful situation can fuse two people together. But it wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t been right for each other.”

I filled my lungs with smoke, frowning at the desert landscape. “Why are you telling me this, exactly?”

“Because Brynn deserves to find her partner. You know I’m not talking about a partner for one mission. I mean someone who’s in it for the long-haul. If you’re not him, then let her go. She can’t take another heartbreak.”

“If I am?”

“Then you have my enthusiastic blessing.”

We said nothing else as I finished the cigarette. Just as I was stubbing it out, the back door opened, and Brynn stepped outside. She was wearing a new pair of jeans and a sweater.

Stanford and I both started to get up, since there were no free chairs, but she sidled over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “That’s okay. I’ll sit here with you.” Brynn settled on my lap and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

It was clear she was making a statement to her former boss and mentor. A statement I appreciated. I put my arm around her waist and smiled at her fondly.

A partner in crime. A partner in life. I did like the sound of that.

Stanford cleared his throat. “Brynn, from the moment you resigned to go undercover, I planned to ask you to return to the Bureau when it was finished. I’m beginning to suspect your answer will be no.”

Brynn’s eyes hadn’t left mine. She returned my grin. “Sorry, sir. A very handsome bounty hunter made me a better offer. And I’ve decided to take him up on it.”