“Oh come on, Cole,” P.J. muttered. “Was that really necessary?”
He grinned. “I just told her that we’re traveling together and couldn’t get seat assignments and then offered her my aisle seat a few rows back. She was happy to accommodate us.”
“And again, why?”
“Loosen up, Rutherford. You’re way too uptight. You act like last night was the end of the world.”
“Shut up!” she hissed out between her teeth. “I’m not having this conversation with you on a crowded plane.”
He turned and leaned in so he was close, and he murmured in a low voice, “It happened, P.J. Nothing you say or do changes that fact, so get over it.”
“It doesn’t mean you have to act like we’re a freaking couple now.”
“Why are you so prickly?” he asked.
There was no censure or condemnation, just honest curiosity.
“You’ve been standoffish since day one. No one can get close to you. No one can ask you questions. Hell, you know all there is to know about me, Dolphin, Renshaw and Baker. Not so much Steele, but then who does? But you act like it’s a cardinal sin for us to know a damn thing about you. What happened with S.W.A.T. sucks, but do you honestly think the team would judge you if they knew? Or is it that you don’t trust us because your last team let you down?”
She sighed and banged her head against the window. They still had two more hours and now Cole was right up in her space. No escaping. Unless she wanted to hang out in the cramped lavatory for the rest of the flight.
He shifted closer to her until his shoulder rested against hers and she could smell him. Her soap on him, since he’d used her shower. But she used plain soap, so that wasn’t what she was smelling. It was him. Clean, delicious male.
It was too easy to remember how much time she’d spent up close and personal to all that wonderful male flesh. She’d licked him and he’d licked her in return. Oh yes, he had.
She shivered.
“You cold?” he asked. “I can adjust your vent.”
She shook her head and wondered how she was going to survive the next two hours.
CHAPTER 5
WHEN P.J. and Cole left the security gate in Nashville, P.J. groaned when she saw Dolphin standing a short distance away holding a sign that said P.J. in big letters. Smart-ass. She’d usually have fun with it and give him some shit, but not today.
He grinned when he saw both her and Cole and then started in their direction. He was the epitome of cocky good ole boy. He was originally from Texas and he had the worn cowboy look down without actually looking like he was right off the ranch.
More often than not he wore jeans with at least half a dozen holes, flip-flops that made him look like he was heading to the beach and a T-shirt, usually with a snarky saying. Today’s offering was “Heavily armed, easily pissed.”
Damn but she wanted that T-shirt.
He, like Cole, was a former navy SEAL, and he’d been called Dolphin since BUD/S training, because he swam like one. The man was more at-home in the water than on land. P.J. half expected she’d find gills in his rib cage somewhere.
“Fancy meeting you here, Cole,” Dolphin said with a sly grin.
Before P.J. could contemplate removing Cole’s testicles—she knew this was going to happen!—he responded so casually that she even believed him.
“I tagged P.J. coming out of one of the gates. Figured we were going the same place so we may as well hitch a ride together.”
Dolphin frowned. “You went out of town?”
Cole snorted. “I do have a life, you know. We were supposed to be up for some extended R and R.”
P.J. cut in, relieved that Dolphin seemed to accept Cole’s explanation. “So what’s up anyway, Dolphin? Steele was as closed mouthed as ever when he called me up.”
Dolphin shrugged as he motioned them toward the doorway leading to the parking garage. “Got me. You know him. We’ll know all when Steele deems it appropriate. Me, I’m just the errand boy sent to provide P.J. a ride.”
Just then Cole’s phone went off. He glanced down and frowned as he read the message.
“What’s up?” P.J. asked and then realized how nosy she sounded.
But Cole didn’t seem bothered.
“Looks like a text that just got through. Steele says we’re meeting at his house, not the compound.”
“Oh yeah,” Dolphin said. “You didn’t know? I figure the world’s coming to an end. Us seeing Steele’s inner sanctum? This must be some pretty heavy-duty shit. I just hope to hell my OnStar can find it. Knowing him, it’s probably not on any official GPS map.”
P.J. and Cole exchanged a look. Dolphin was being a smart-ass but he wasn’t far off the mark. Suddenly she was anxious to get the hell where they were going so she could find out what sort of mission they’d been called up on.
When they arrived at Dolphin’s truck, he grabbed P.J.’s pack before she could toss it in the back herself. She climbed into the extra cab, leaving the front for Cole. She only hoped he took the hint. She found herself holding her breath as he walked around the other side.
To her relief, he climbed in the front just as Dolphin slid behind the wheel.
“You get any rest at all, P.J.?” Dolphin asked as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
It took everything she had not to blush. Cole made a noise that sounded like a cross between a cough and a laugh. She wanted to stick her knife right through the back of his neck. Asshole was enjoying this.
“Slept like a baby,” she said in a silky voice.
Dolphin shook his head. “I wish I had. I thought we were in for a long layoff so I went out. Hell, my head is still hurting.”
P.J. rolled her eyes. Dolphin’s nights out were legendary. He always had a new story about all the crap he got into. At least it passed the time during transit and when they were stuck in some shit hole awaiting orders or for the enemy to make their move.
“I didn’t get much sleep,” Cole said slyly.
Dolphin guffawed. “You finally get laid, dude? I was beginning to think you were considering monkhood.”
P.J. wanted to crawl under the seat. It wasn’t that the discussion was anything out of the ordinary. When she was working, she was just one of the guys. She didn’t get a pass because she was female, and she liked it that way. No way she wanted them acting all weird around her, afraid to say anything for fear of offending her.
What surprised her even more was that if Dolphin’s words were to be taken to heart, Cole had told the truth about not hopping into bed with just anyone.
“Monkhood? Nah. Just needed to meet the right woman.”
Dolphin made an exaggerated rear back with his head. “Dude! Don’t tell me you’re off the market! I knew the damn Kellys were bad influences. If we aren’t careful, we’re all going to be domesticated and ball-less before it’s over with.”
P.J. closed her eyes and willed Dolphin to drive faster.
“Nothing wrong with one woman,” Cole drawled. “As long as it’s the right one.”
“So, do tell,” Dolphin urged. “What’s she like?”
Cole grinned. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Thank God.
“So that’s why you were out of town, then,” Dolphin mused. “How she feel about you being yanked out of her bed so abruptly?”
Cole cut a glance over his shoulder in P.J.’s direction, and she shot him a murderous glare that said If you don’t shut up, I’ll kill you.
He chuckled and drummed his fingers on the dashboard. “She was remarkably understanding. Of course, I promised her I’d be back as soon as I possibly could.”