Hemingway - Zoe Dawson Page 0,87

gold. Not the SEAL look she remembered. The barely-there stubble on his face added a sexy ruggedness, accentuating his strong jaw.

He looked so good dressed in his tack gear, like he was fresh from another fight. Her heart suspended as she watched him walk, shouldering his pack and talking to Mad Max.

Then finally he looked toward her, and his steps faltered. He stared for a few long seconds as Max’s gaze landed on her. The knowing, slight upturn of Max’s mouth made her want to flip him off. Inside she was jumping for joy. Hemingway was here, and it seemed as if everything would be all right. The tension drained out of her.

He saw her, knew her and he made her feel like she existed, not floating between identities and missions.

Since he’d stopped moving, Fast Lane reached her first. “Special Agent Palmer. Fancy meeting you here.”

For a moment, she couldn’t form words, then she broke eye contact with him reluctantly. “Especially when I didn’t know you were coming.”

“We were requested by the agency. We’ve been in the area before on a protection detail.”

“Same old same?” She smiled.

“Something like that. I hear you’ve got some jarheads missing.”

“Three to be exact. Let’s get out of the heat, and I’ll brief you guys.” She turned to her guide and said. “Lead the way, Juan.”

The guide stared at her until she heard Hemingway’s deep voice say in flawless Spanish, “Liderar el camino, Juan.”

The sound of his deep voice rippled through her, and she had to take a quick breath. Juan bobbed his head and said enthusiastically. “Si, this way.”

She hadn’t noticed there were other jeeps following. Hemingway got into the back seat of her vehicle along with Max and Jugs. The other six SEALs piled in and they headed back to the main base. She could feel him behind her, her awareness of him reverberating like a tuning fork.

He had something that weakened her. Not so much his looks. She’d been around hundreds of handsome dangerous men. Maybe it was just unexplainable, that confidence, power and leadership that some men possessed to the maximum degree. It just oozed out of their pores.

Juan took her to the briefing room the Paraguayan commander had designated for this operation. There was a screen, a long, wide conference table, computers, a map and phones. Everything they needed.

They took their seats while Max grabbed one of the bottled waters, pouring it into Jugs’s mouth. The Malinois lapped noisily then Max drained the rest of the water.

She stood at the front of the room while they seated themselves. As soon as they had settled, she clicked the screen on and put up a photo array.

“This is Sergeant Brenden Hanson, Lance Corporal Thomas Schellenberg and Lance Corporal Joe Taggert. They came into Paraguay two weeks ago, telling customs it was a sightseeing trip.” She advanced to the next picture, barely keeping her attention on what she was doing. It was so unprofessional, the first time in her career. “But I traced them to this…uh…outdoor store where they bought tents, climbing ropes, and camping gear.” She advanced again to their rental car, heat infusing her skin. She felt as if she was going to go mad. “I scouted the area where they left their car, and there was no sign of them. The local farmer who I talked to told me that they were treasure hunting.”

She set down the clicker and took a breath. “Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen. Hemingway, could I have a moment of your time in private?”

Max smirked, and she wanted to flip him off again.

Hemingway rose and followed her out of the room, and she went around the corner. The moment he turned the corner, she grabbed his tack vest and pulled him against her. She took his mouth like she owned it. Like he was there for her alone. And the fire between them instantly raged.

There was no hesitation, no apology, no request, just hunger and passion.

“My God, you smell good,” she murmured. “You feel so good. I missed you so much.”

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” he whispered, cupping her face and just staring at her.

“Kiss me before I die,” she whispered. She couldn’t get enough of his mouth. She breathed his name over and over. His body trembled against hers.

Sanity returned, and she gulped a breath. “We better get back.”

“I need to use the restroom first. I’ve got to find some cold water.”

She giggled, and he smiled that beautiful, dreamy smile