“Oh my gosh, the baby is gorgeous, Jack!” a petite redhead gushed as she hustled into the hospital room, her blue eyes lit with excitement as she placed a soft kiss on his intimidating face. “Wait until you see him!”
This must be Morgan Cole.
With every step, a sparkling gold and ruby choker bobbed at the hollow of the woman’s throat and her slim hips swayed with a well-sated sensuality. A huge diamond winked on her left hand. Jack had both married and collared her?
The woman’s lips looked swollen, as if she’d been thoroughly kissed recently. And she looked sublimely happy. As he put his arms around her, Jack’s expression was nothing short of smitten.
An inexplicable bolt of envy pierced her. Not that Kata wanted Jack, but she yearned for the affection Morgan had, wanted to be steeped in that sort of tenderness and sexuality with someone who meant everything to her. Kata had never been aware of such a need. Hell, until recently, she would have denied it with her dying breath, especially after having Mamá and Gordon as her role models. But now the craving for a relationship like Jack and Morgan’s blindsided her. The kind Hunter had described. His face swam in her mind.
“Tell me all about Deke and Kimber’s baby, mon coeur.” Jack smiled at his wife.
He worshipped Morgan with just a gaze and a few words, bowling Kata over again. Did being a man’s submissive make the relationship deeper—or just more dangerous? Morgan looked like a vibrant woman, full to the brim with happiness. But Kata didn’t know how to reconcile that vision with the reality she’d seen her stepfather dish out for all these years. How could the woman be anything but miserable under her domineering husband’s thumb?
“Ten little fingers and ten little toes. He’s so pink and chubby and perfect.” Morgan sighed. “The maternity ward isn’t very busy, so they brought the baby in, and I got to hold him.”
“And now you want one?” Jack’s smile was nothing short of indulgent. “I’ve been telling you since our wedding night that I would love babies with you.”
Morgan glowed. “And I’ve appreciated your patience.”
The big man returned her grin but didn’t say another word. No pushing. No pressure. Just sparkling dark eyes that matched her excitement. Looking at Jack and Morgan, Kata wasn’t sure exactly what to make of their exchange. Who had the power here?
“Can we . . . ?” Morgan asked with hope in her blue eyes.
Jack’s smile only deepened. A warmth she would have never imagined him capable of suffused his face. “Whatever you want. You know that. Of course, I’d be thrilled.”
“It’s definitely worth . . . discussion.” Morgan kissed her husband, then shivered at his touch. “But first things first. Where is . . .” Morgan whirled until their stares locked. The little redhead started, a hand to her chest. “Oh, I didn’t see you in the corner. Kata, right? And, oh God, I just talked about having a baby.” She blushed, then punched her husband. “Why didn’t you tell me we weren’t alone?”
Jack laughed, wrapping an arm around his wife’s shoulder with a wink. “If Kata has been married to Hunter for more than ten minutes, I’m sure she knows where babies come from.”
Morgan did a poor job of repressing a smile. “Yes, and no doubt, Hunter will want, um . . . lots and lots of practice when he returns.”
That’s what Kata feared—and yearned for so desperately. Memories of their night in Logan’s condo kept swirling in her head. Hunter had controlled her body so completely that it still stunned her. The thought of giving that much of herself again both thrilled and terrified her. He would return in the next twenty-four hours, and those papers were burning a hole in her purse.
She’d come to a fork in the road. Take a chance that her relationship would be more like Jack and Morgan’s? Or was that a fairy tale? Were she and Hunter destined to be more like Gordon and Mamá?
SIX a.m. Hunter shoved his phone in his pocket with a curse and headed inside the hospital. He didn’t like any of this one bit.
The past forty-two hours had been a total waste. Hunter had encountered no arms-for-drugs deal going down by Víctor Sotillo’s old gang. From everything he could tell, the thug’s organization was barely limping along. They’d slowed their pace on funneling money to the corrupt local and national governments who, in turn, did business with Iran to fund terrorists and nuclear weapons. Hunter had no idea who was leading the Sotillo gang now. His local informant had assured him that Adan Sotillo, Víctor’s salsa-dancing brother, was dead, though he had no details or proof. Provided Hunter’s local snitch wasn’t wrong or lying, if neither Sotillo brother was alive to turn an illegal profit, then who was running the show?
Even more perplexing was why he’d been sent to Venezuela in the first place. The pending deal that had created this blazing f**king emergency? He’d been unable to find even a hint of it. Usually, when he and the other members of SEAL Team 4 went anywhere near Sotillo’s haunts, the meeting was fast, ugly, and brutal. This time, unnerving silence.
Was it possible that Adan’s sudden death, so soon after Víctor’s, had forced the criminals to slow their plans? Or had someone tipped them off? Either way, the “emergency” that had called Hunter to Venezuela and interrupted his honeymoon hadn’t materialized. And he was beyond pissed off.
As soon as he got ahold of Barnes, Hunter vowed to chew his commanding officer a new ass**le. Respectfully, of course. He’d probably be reprimanded anyway, since Andy liked exercising his newfound power. But he had a bigger problem now that he was back Stateside.
Hunter understood the need to drop everything and assist a sick loved one. He respected Kata for putting her mother’s welfare above her own, since he did it every day as a soldier. But goddamn it, she wasn’t trained for these situations. She’d disobeyed every direct order he’d given her and shed every safeguard he’d put in place. She hadn’t asked for help when she needed it.
He had no doubt she was going to balk at her punishment, though she damn well deserved it. And he needed to feel her around him, under him, taking him. He needed to connect with her in a way he’d never needed anything or anyone.
Hunter wasn’t one of those pussies afraid of commitment or his emotions, but he wasn’t the only part of this equation. He’d pushed Kata to her mental and physical limit before leaving on this mission. He was coming off three days of adrenaline rush and sleeplessness. His mood was bad, his temper worse. Normally, he wouldn’t go near Kata until he was rested and calm. But since he had to leave again Sunday morning for what would likely be months, he couldn’t waste time. He had to see—and deal with—her now.
Inside the hospital’s too-white lobby, Hunter bypassed the sleepy receptionist and headed for the bank of elevators. He counted to ten ... twenty. Fuck, counting to a thousand wouldn’t calm him down. If Tyler hadn’t been on top of the situation, Kata could have fallen prey to an assassin’s bullet; the heart Hunter still sought to earn could have stopped beating. The very thought turned his blood to ice.
With a muted ding, the elevator stopped on the third floor. Hunter jogged down the hall, spotting Tyler tucked in the shadows at the nurses’ station, just as he’d promised. Jack and Morgan had gone home for a bit of sleep. Deke had stepped in while visiting his wife, then left around midnight. None of them could convince Kata to leave the hospital and rest someplace safe.
Hunter’s palm itched. He was going to spank her but good. After they settled her mother, they were going to spend hours and hours sleeping and making love and resolving their problems. He’d do whatever necessary to make her damn well promise not to put herself at risk again. And he’d earn her love by Sunday.
Finally, room 304. Though less than a few dozen steps, the jog had seemed interminable. He rounded the corner and stepped into the hospital room.