Securing Brenae Page 2

  Dag took a deep breath and sat back. They stared at each other for a long moment before she asked, “So…you want to be a naval officer?” she asked.

  Dag smiled—and it took her breath away. He was good-looking when he was all broody and serious, but when he grinned, he was gorgeous.

  “Yeah. One day in elementary school, a Navy SEAL came to our class and talked to us about what it was he did, and from that day forth that’s all I’ve wanted to do.”

  “A SEAL, huh?” Brenae asked.

  He nodded. “That’s the ultimate goal. I know it won’t be easy. It’ll be brutally hard, in fact, but I can do it.”

  She liked his confidence. She huffed out a short laugh. “I should be graduating with my two-year degree in business this spring and I have no idea what I want to do with my life.”

  “I have a feeling you’ll be good at whatever you decide to do,” Dag said.

  Brenae rolled her eyes. “You don’t even know me.”

  “I’m trying to rectify that,” he said smoothly.

  For the next hour, they talked about everything from their parents to where their dream vacation would be. Brenae told him about how she had never really seen much of the world other than the Baltimore area, and he told her more about SEAL training.

  She looked down at her watch and grimaced.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I hate to do this, and it’s not a line, but I really need to go home and study. I have an accounting test tomorrow and I can’t afford to fail it.”

  Dag immediately nodded and began to pack up his stuff.

  “Oh, but I didn’t mean you had to leave,” she told him.

  He stopped and looked her in the eyes once more. She loved how he did that. He didn’t shy away from making that intimate connection with her. “It’s about time for me to go as well. I need to get back and report Enzo, and curfew is coming up. But I’d like to see you again, Brenae.”

  Butterflies swirled around in her stomach. She’d been hoping he might ask her out, on a real date this time, but hadn’t wanted to get her hopes up too high. “I’d like that.”

  He smiled. “But first, I’m going to walk you to your car. You need to grab anything before you go?”

  “No, I’ve got my purse. I’m good.”

  Dag stood, and when she stumbled getting out of the booth, he was right there with a hand at her elbow. “Thanks. We can go out the back door. My car’s in the lot behind the diner.”

  As they walked through the diner, she was well aware of Dag’s hand at her back. He wasn’t pushing her, wasn’t really touching her much at all. At most, his fingertips brushed against the small of her back as they walked, but she was aware of every brush of his hand on her body. Goose bumps broke out…and crazy as it was, Brenae suspected she was already falling hard and fast for the man beside her.

  They went out into the dark night, and Brenae shivered.

  “Cold?” he asked in concern.

  “I’ll be good until I can get the heat in my car cranked up,” she replied.

  She led him over to her car and turned to him shyly once they were there.

  Dag’s gaze swept her from head to toe, surprisingly not lingering at her boobs. It was more an assessing look, making sure she was all right, rather than a leering one.

  “Do you have far to go?” he asked.

  Brenae shook her head. Not too far. Only about ten minutes or so.

  He nodded. Then said something that surprised her. “I’m going to be a career navy guy. And you know I’m trying to be a SEAL. That means lots of deployments. I could be gone for two weeks at a time, or twelve months at a time. I won’t be able to predict it.”

  Brenae frowned in confusion. “Okaaaaay…?”

  He held out his hand, and she automatically put hers in it. His fingers closed around hers and he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back. “I’m telling you this because I’m interested in you, Brenae. You intrigue me, and you make me feel things I haven’t ever felt about someone before. And if I feel this way after talking to you for just an hour, I have a suspicion those feelings will only get stronger the more I get to know you. If things between us work out the way I’m hoping they do…well, that means what I do with my life will affect you too. So I’m telling you now what will happen in my career to make sure you’ll be able to handle it.”

  Brenae blinked up at him, heart pounding.

  Holy crap. She didn’t know whether to be freaked out that he wanted a long-term relationship with her, after only knowing her an hour, or to be excited and giddy.

  The latter won out.

  “I can handle it,” she told him.

  “Don’t be so quick to answer. It means that you’ll be alone a lot. And if we get married and have kids someday, you’ll have to shoulder much of the responsibility simply because I’m not there to do my part. Don’t get me wrong, when I am home, I’ll be one hundred percent invested, but there’ll be times when my future wife will have to deal with the toilet overflowing, one of the kids having to go to the emergency room for a broken bone, and a thousand other little things on her own because I’m not there.”

  Brenae wasn’t sure if he was trying to warn her away from him or what, but at the mention of having children with this man, all she could think of was the making of said imaginary kids—and how amazing she was sure that would be.

  “I’m getting a business degree because I love learning, and it was the one major I thought could be adaptable to almost anything I decided to do. But to be frank, I’d like nothing more than to be a full-time mother. I know that’s not a popular choice in today’s world of women’s lib, but…it’s truly how I feel. And I have no problem with you being deployed. I want any man I’m with to do what they feel passionate about. And how could I ever get upset with you for wanting to serve your country?”

  His face gentled, and for the first time, she saw passion in his eyes. She licked her lips—and couldn’t take her eyes from his. His fingers tightened on her hand.

  “I’d like to kiss you,” he said quietly.

  He didn’t lean forward. Didn’t pressure her in any way.

  Once more, he was showing her that he was a true gentleman, and it made her fall for him all the more.

  “I’d like that,” she returned softly.

  Then Dag moved slowly. His free hand came up to the back of her neck and gently caressed her with his thumb, even as he brought their clasped hands around to her back. Brenae grabbed onto his biceps with her free hand and practically held her breath as he unhurriedly bent toward her.

  Just before his lips touched hers, Dag said, “I have a feeling I’m going to remember this kiss for the rest of life.”

  His warm breath wafted over her before he finally kissed her.

  Brenae closed her eyes and clutched at his arm as Dag took control of the kiss. He nibbled and teased her lips with his teeth and tongue before she groaned low in her throat. Taking that as consent, or for the impatience it was meant to be, she felt him smile against her before he slanted his head and took what they both wanted…and needed.

  The kiss was nothing like anything Brenae had experienced before. Dag overwhelmed her senses. Her eyes closed and she could smell what she assumed was the soap he’d used the last time he’d showered. She felt his fingers tighten sensually against the back of her neck. He didn’t press her against her car, didn’t shove his crotch against her, try to crudely show her how much she turned him on. He tongue simply caressed hers over and over, and it somehow felt as if this was her first kiss.

  A part of her knew, deep down, that Dag would be the one and only person she ever kissed this way.

  When he finally pulled back, he only backed off enough to look her into her eyes.

  Instinctively, Brenae knew her life had just changed. Irrevocably and for the better. Life as a military spouse wouldn’t be easy, especially with a take-charge man like Dag. But she suddenly couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. With h
im at her side, she could accomplish anything. Go anywhere. Be anyone she wanted.

  “Holy fuck,” he said softly.

  Brenae smiled. Huge. His words were crass, but she couldn’t have said it better herself.

  He seemed to gather himself and took a deep breath. She watched as he licked his lips sensuously.

  Without thought, she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. It was a closed-mouth kiss this time, and even more romantic and tender as a result.

  “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that one for?” he asked.

  “I just…I wanted to taste you one last time.” She felt stupid the second the words left her lips, but the way he smiled down at her took away any embarrassment she might’ve felt about her impulsive act.

  “Give me your number,” he ordered.

  “Do you need to write it down?” she asked.

  Dag didn’t move away from her. “No, I’ll remember it.”

  She rattled it off, and he repeated it back to her. “I’ll call you tomorrow night. Are you working? What time do you get off?”

  “Same time.”

  “Okay. I can’t come to the diner tomorrow, but I’ll call you to make sure you got home all right.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “You don't have to worry about Enzo and his buddies coming to the diner again. I’m going to make sure he knows it’s off limits from here on out.”

  “I can handle him,” Brenae said.

  “I know you can. But now you don’t have to. I probably shouldn’t say this right now, because it could work against me. But I’m overprotective. Always have been, always will be. When you’re with me, I’m going to do my best to make sure that you’re safe. And even when I’m not around, I’ll still do what I can to make your life easier, as much as possible. Got it?”

  Brenae shivered and nodded.

  Misinterpreting her shiver and thinking she was chilly, Dag said, “I’m an idiot for making you stand out here in the cold in that dress. Drive safe getting home, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Brenae nodded, feeling slightly disappointed when he took his hands off her and helped her into her car. She rolled down the window and called, “Dag?”

  “Yeah, Brea?”

  Loving the way he said her name, she said, “For the record, I’m proud of you. Not everyone is made for serving their country, and even only knowing you for the short time that I have, I know you’re going to make an excellent Officer and SEAL. Our country is lucky to have you on their side.”

  “Thank you. That means the world to me. Later, Brea.”

  “Later, Dag.”

  Brenae drove back to her small studio apartment, a huge smile on her face the entire way. It was amazing how one minute she was depressed and lonely, and the next she felt as if she had a whole new life ahead of her. Ultimately, she had no idea if things with Dag would actually work out…but she had a really good feeling about it. About them.

  That night, she had a dream. She and Dag both had gray hair and were sitting on a love seat on the back deck of a big house on a beach. They were watching the sunset and were holding hands, simply sitting with each other and enjoying the romantic setting.

  Dag turned to her and said, “I’m the luckiest man alive. Who would’ve thought all those years ago that we’d be here today?”

  And dream-Brenae turned to her husband, the man she’d loved for what felt like her entire life, and said, “Me.”

  Chapter Two

  Present Day

  Riverton, CA

  * * *

  Brenae Creasy sat on the rock wall on the beach and tried to be patient. When she and her husband, Rear Admiral Dag Creasy, had arrived at the quarterly SEAL family picnic earlier, their plans had been to hang around just long enough to say hello to the men under his command, and then head back home.

  Home at the moment was an apartment, as the house they were having built wasn’t ready yet. Their other house had sold surprisingly fast, and thus, they were marking time in an apartment for a few months until they could move into their dream home overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

  But not too long after they’d arrived at the beach, their lazy day out had taken a turn. The traitor her husband had been looking for had made his move and tried to kill a young woman right there on the beach.

  Brenae had watched the whole thing in disbelief and fear, both for her husband and the woman who had almost died. Without blinking, Dag had entered the fray right along with the much younger Navy SEALs. When shots had rung out over the beach, shattering the peaceful and fun outing, she still hadn’t panicked. She trusted Dag, and more importantly, she trusted the SEALs he worked with.

  More than two hours had passed since the incident, but Brenae refused to leave. Dag had come over and spoken to her briefly, telling her he was going to be a while and she should go on home, but she’d declined. She’d done what she could to reassure the other wives and their children before they’d left, but even when the air cooled and she shivered, she refused to budge.

  Dag was stressed. She’d been married to the man for almost thirty years. She could read him better than anyone in the world. To everyone else, he was the one they turned to for direction. They looked up to him and respected him…almost revered him. But to her, he was just Dag. The two of them had been through so much. She knew him inside and out. And right now, he was hurting. She wasn’t leaving without him. No way.

  Brenae had always been proud of Dag, but at that moment, watching how easily he handled everyone around him, reassuring those who needed it, using his rank to smooth things over with law enforcement, and being compassionate to the young woman who had almost lost her life that evening…she was even more proud.

  Every time she looked at her husband, she saw the young sailor she’d met when he was at the Naval Academy and she was a struggling community college student working at a rundown diner. But it was times like this when it was hammered home that he was one hell of a leader. Men and women looked up to him, looked to him, when the shit hit the fan.

  By the time the sun started sinking below the horizon, most of the police officers and naval investigators had left the beach. The SEALs who’d been directly involved in the rescue of the woman had been dismissed.

  Brenae watched as Dag finally shook the hands of the remaining law enforcement personnel and made his way toward her. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, but even out of uniform, he had no problem garnishing respect from everyone he met. But Brenae couldn’t take her eyes off his face.

  He was exhausted. And sad. And pissed. And worried—about her. She hated adding to his worries, but there was no way she could’ve left. She stood when he approached, and to her surprise, instead of putting his hand on her back and leading her to their car, he reached out and enfolded her in his arms instead.

  Dag wasn’t a demonstrative man. Especially in public. He was always aware of his rank and the responsibilities that came with it. As a career navy man, he’d learned a long time ago to hide his true feelings behind a stoic mask. So taking her in his arms and holding on as if she was a feather who would blow away in a brisk breeze was an unusual move, and made her heart clench.

  She was half a foot shorter than his six feet, but she still felt him bury his nose in her hair as he held on to her. Wrapping her own arms around the man she loved with all her being, Brenae palmed the back of his head, the short hair brushing against her palm in a way that was familiar and comforting.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “That had to have sucked.”

  “Yeah,” Dag mumbled against her hair.

  “You’re okay, right?” she asked.

  He huffed out a small chuckle and straightened and looked down at her. “I thought you’d grown out of asking me that.”

  Brenae mock glared up at her husband. “Dag, you came home from a mission with a bullet wound and tried to blow it off as if it was nothing.”

  He shrugged. “I hadn’t seen you in a month.
The scratch on my arm could wait. Seeing you couldn’t.”

  She melted inside at his words, but still scowled at him. “Scratch? The bullet was still inside your arm! And it was infected.” She shook her head at him. “I learned my lesson that day. Make sure you’re really okay first, then carry on with whatever we were going to do.”

  “I’m okay, hon. Promise,” he said softly, his brown eyes fixed on hers.

  “Good. You’re cleared to leave?”

  “Yeah. The navy is sending someone over to notify his wife of his death.”

  “We should go over tomorrow.”

  Dag swallowed hard before nodding. “I wasn’t going to assume you’d want to go with me.”

  “I’ve known her for as long as you knew him. This is going to be hard for her and their kids.”

  “I know. I love you, Brenae. I don’t know what the hell you saw in me when I was a punk-ass kid, but I’ve never regretted one day of the time we’ve spent together.”

  “Me either,” Brenae told him. Their marriage had certainly had its ups and downs. Thirty years of being married to a man devoted to the military wasn’t a walk in the park, but when all was said and done, she’d never stopped loving him. “Let’s go home.”

  “God, I wish our house was done,” he mumbled. “There’s nothing more I’d like than a nice long soak in that hot tub being installed on our deck.”

  Brenae agreed with him, but simply said, “We’ll make do with a shower. Come on.”

  Dag put his arm around her waist and hugged her to his side as he walked them to their car in the parking lot. It was one of the last ones in the deserted lot, but he still constantly looked around, making sure she was safe as they walked toward it.

  Within fifteen minutes, they were pulling up to their apartment complex. It was dark by then, and again, Dag made sure to keep an eye out for trouble as he led her to the front doors. One of the things Brenae loved about her husband was the way he constantly touched her when they were alone. In public he was always the consummate professional, always aware that people were watching him, judging him. But in private, he more than made up for his lack of public displays of affection. If they were close enough to touch…he did. His fingers at the small of her back. A hand on her arm. His hand engulfing hers.