Charlotte Read online

  When we exited the bathroom, I noticed there was a tall muscular man standing in the hallway watching the door. When we entered the hall, he stepped back and let us pass then followed us across the bar. The ladies walked me back to my table. Dr Jones declared it was time we headed back to the hotel before we did anything else that was too crazy. I think we must have embarrassed him. I was shocked as we walked past the table with the ladies from the restroom, JoAnn loudly said, “Charlotte I swear I don’t know why you have to be such a drama queen and make a speech at karaoke. Did you not get enough attention as a child or something?” I didn’t reply as I was shocked and a little embarrassed at her observation. I just lowered my head and followed the group out the door.

  Even now after having slept a few hours her words still sting a little. Why I worry about what she thinks is beyond me and it’s not like I will ever see those ladies from the bar again. Still, I wish she hadn’t embarrassed me. There is a little café up ahead. I could use some coffee to help improve my mood. There is a line at the counter, so it takes a few minutes for me to get to the counter to order.

  Once I have ordered and paid, the barista hands me my large mocha coffee. Several people are crowding the counter so when I turn to leave, I run smack into a hard wall of muscle. My coffee sloshes down the front of my University of Kentucky Wildcats t-shirt, and I would have landed on my ass if not for the strong hands that grabbed my elbows, steadying me on my feet. Once I am over the shock and first degree burn between my breasts, I look up into the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t burn you with my coffee.” I ramble to the handsome man who still has his hands on me. Suddenly my mouth is dry, and I can hardly breath. I hadn’t been this close to a man in a very long time so I’m sure that’s why I was acutely aware of the Alpha male holding me near him.

  “No harm done. Are you alright? Did you get burned?” The man’s deep rumbling voice sends shivers down my spine and goosebumps erupted on my skin. He was so close I could smell his sandalwood and male scent. The scent caused my lady parts to wake up and take notice.

  “I’m f-fine.” I stutter. What the hell is wrong with me? A man has never gotten me flustered like this before. I step back to get some distance so I can breathe when I bump into another customer. “Excuse me.” I throw over my shoulder stepping back toward the man with his hands still gripping me elbows.

  “You sure you’re alright?” the handsome man questions again with a raised eyebrow. My nervous behavior is obviously not convincing. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves wasn’t the best idea. He scent was deeply embedded in my nostrils now. Somehow, I managed to get myself under control. Plastering a smile on my face, I nod to assure him all is well. He nods in return and releases my elbows. The sudden loss of his hands startles me, but I manage to move out of the way so he can move up to the counter.

  Once I am seated at my table, I notice he is with a group of soldiers that had entered the airport café where I had decided to wait for my friends. After getting their items from the counter, they take their seats at a couple of tables off to my right. They are dressed in Army green t-shirts, camouflage pants, and combat boots. They are all tall, muscular, and handsome. Are they are heading out on deployment or just returning home? It would be nice to tell them I am thankful for what they do. Should I say anything to them? I feel compelled to thank them for the sacrifice of their time away from family and friends, but most importantly the fact that they willingly risk their lives for us mere civilians. After hearing the women in the bathroom last night talking about their SEALs leaving for a mission, I decide to bite the bullet and say what is laying on my heart at that moment.

  It’s go-time, so standing I make my way over to the group. As I approach the table, they look up at me and suddenly they all stand up. In shock, I take a step back but now I’m even more determined to say what I came over here to say. It’s really nice to meet a group of true gentlemen. They are very intimidating. Smiling confidently (I hope) while shaking like a leaf on the inside, I lick my lips and take a deep breath to steady my nerves and gather my thoughts.

  “You don’t have to stand on my account.” I say. “I hope you all hear this often and I’m sure it sounds cliché, but I wanted to thank you gentlemen for all you do to ensure the safety of our country. I can’t imagine what horrors you see and do to allow the rest of us to go about our daily lives without a thought of what it takes to have the freedom we have here in the States. So, thank you again. I’ll let you get back to your meal. I wish there was more I could say or do, but that’s all I have.” I ramble on like an idiot.

  As I turn to leave there is a gentle pressure on my arm. An electric shook seems to run up my arm and settles in my chest. The heat of his hand on my arm is stimulating and comforting much like when he held my elbows to keep me from falling. He takes my hand in his as I look up into his beautiful green eyes again. He is tall, dark, and handsome. The man smiles at me and says, “Thank you for taking the time to remind us why we do this. It means a lot to me and my men.” Then he places a kiss on the back of my hand. He seems to linger a little longer than is necessary. His touch causes a stirring inside that I haven’t felt in years.

  “You’re very welcome.” I reply with a smile as the heat of a blush floods in my face. Suddenly I hear JoAnn is calling my name. Looking over my shoulder I see Lisa and Dr. Jones with JoAnn hanging off his arm standing just outside the café. I excuse myself to join the gang before leaving for our terminal. I chance a glance back at the soldiers and notice that the man is still standing and is looking my way. Waving with a smile, I turn quickly and leave saying a silent prayer that those men will make it home safe and sound.

  Chapter 2

  Hawk

  It has been a long day, hell, a long week. We are being sent to a Naval base in San Diego, California for a new mission. Thankful I am with my team. We have been together for the last several years. The men on my team are as close to me as my own brothers. Deadeye, Straw, Ace, Wallace, Tank, Worm, Virus, Mercury and Hack are some of the best men I know. Marine Raiders teams are larger than some other Spec-op teams in other branches of the military. There are ten of us in the field with another four members at headquarters. Captain Mark Olson is the commander of our team. Master Sergeant James Kellers, Gunnery Sergeant Robert Jamison and Gunnery Sergeant Erik Rafters round out the headquarters members.

  We work like a well-oiled machine. Words are rarely required when out in the field, we act on instinct. We get the job done, everyone comes home, and then we throw a few back and put our feet up. Lately I have had this restless feeling that something is missing. I haven’t been able to figure it out. I know that my days in the field will come to an end as I get older, but what will I do then? Can I sit behind a desk directing troops? I enjoy hunting and fishing, but I don’t see myself retiring to a life of leisure. I’ve been on the move my entire adult life.

  We have flown commercial to San Diego, California due to no military flights were available to get us here in time to join up with a SEAL team for a new mission in the Columbian jungle. Damn, I hate that place. It’s not our first trip in that hellhole and I guess that’s why we got chosen for this gig. We had barely gotten back to Camp Lejeune from Afghanistan when we got the word. It seemed we hardly had time to repack our gear before we were on the plane. Now that we are here, we have a couple of hours before the transport is supposed to be here to pick us up and take us to base. So, we decide to grab some coffee and a bite to eat from a little café on the civilian side of the airport.

  Straw was giving us a detailed recounting of his latest conquest. It happened just after we had gotten back from our latest mission. We were only home for two days. When did he have the time? I swear that guy could pick up a woman in a convent of the elderly. It’s easy to do when you don’t have very high standards. Straw like the rest of us is only looking for physical release and nothing else. As a team we don’t do relationships. It’s
too hard for most women to be tied to a military man, especially when that man is part of the special forces. We never know when we will have to leave or how long we will be gone. We can’t tell them anything about what we do. After my disaster of a marriage, I’m not eager to try that again.

  Julie and I had met when I was in my mid-twenties. We dated off and on whenever I was home. After a while she began to pressure me for us to get married. It didn’t seem right, but I was nearing 30 years old. I wasn’t getting any younger. So even though I had some reservations, I relented, and we married. However, after the wedding I came to realize she wasn’t in love with me. She just loved the idea of being a Marine’s wife. She wanted the attention she could get from Facebook. She wanted the sympathy from her ‘friends’ that she was sacrificing so much by having to sit at home while her husband was out saving the world. She was constantly making up shit to put on her page, whenever we got called up. Special forces soldiers can’t talk about missions. Few people even know about the Marines Special Forces, much less where we go and what we do. She had caused me to be called in by my Captain and questioned about some of her posts. I warned her to stop posting stuff on there, that she could ruin my career. She apologized and promised to never do it again. A few months later, my team had gotten called up on very short notice. While we were gone, she posted all over social media that I was in Iraq taking out Osama Bin Laden. It almost cost me my career, but my superiors realized she was faking all the mess she put on there. We divorced, but she was already pregnant. That is another thing she was in love with the idea of, being a mother, but not so much the reality. Without consulting me she had stopped taking her birth control. After he was born, she decided she didn’t want to be a mother.

  I took a paternal leave for 2 weeks, before going back to active duty. Raising Brian was the most important job of my life, but I still had to support him. I loved my job and wanted to be able to retire from the service but was torn. The need to care for my son battled with my obligation to my team. After a long talk with my father, Brian went to live with my parents while I was gone on missions. My parents have a very loving relationship and have raised four successful children. I knew their home was the best place for him.

  Leaving him the first time I was deployed after he was born was the hardest of my life. I missed him terribly and I felt bad that my parents couldn’t have the retirement they deserved. It was better for him to have a stable home with his grandparents that love him, than to be bounced around every time I leave the country. Even knowing that, it didn’t make this any easier. Especially now that he’s a teenager, the need to be his fulltime parent has been weighing on my mind. Will I ever find someone who will love me for me and not my job, love my son? I have always wanted the kind of relationship my parents have, but perhaps it’s not meant to be for me.

  Having seen a lot of things in my 46 years on this earth, I thought nothing would ever surprise me again. I was wrong. Today I met a woman that did just that. I can’t put my finger on why exactly. Perhaps it was her gratitude, her boldness, or the sincerity I saw in her eyes. I could kick my ass for not getting her name and number, but I was so caught off guard by my reaction to her, I just let her walk away from me.

  The woman had literally run into me when we walked up to the counter at the café. She was only around 5’4” but she fit perfectly under my arm when I held her against me in an effort to keep her from falling on her sweet ass. She was overweight by most standards, but that just meant she had large breasts and hips a man can hang on to. Her voice had that soft southern twang that went straight to my dick when she spoke. When I looked into her gorgeous, intense eyes (brownish green with flecks of gold) I saw her and what I saw was amazing.

  Later after we were seated, she walked up to our table. She was a beautiful woman to me. No, she wasn’t super model thin or tall, but to a hardened asshole such as myself, I saw her beauty, what she is inside. Her curly brown hair fell down her shoulders beside a heart shaped face. It bounced as she walked toward us. I stood as she approached, and the others followed suit. She was wearing a simple Kentucky Wildcats t-shirt and jeans that mold to her hips, with a pair of worn looking tennis shoes. She seemed a little nervous, her eyes darted around to each one of us. She licked her lips while taking a deep breath. My eyes were drawn to her lips and then her ample breasts. Those simple acts had aroused me instantly, forcing me to shift uncomfortably as she proceeded to thank us for serving our country. I was trying to process why I felt such an attraction to this woman, when I realized she was about to walk away after giving us her little speech. I reached out to stop her and a warm bolt of electricity blasted through my system as my hand touched her bare arm. Taking her hand, I placed a kiss on the back it and thanked her for her kindness. Her skin was warm, and a tingle crossed my lips. They continued to buzz long after they had left her skin. She turned and walked away. Her hips swaying seductively as she crossed the café. My dick twitched again. It was getting uncomfortable. She grabbed her purse and carryon bag and left with a group of people. She spared a glance back at us. She smiled and waved before heading out into the crowded airport.

  The guys clearing their throats and laughing brought me out of my trance. Looking around I realized I was the only one still standing. Deadeye, my closest friend and second in command, gave me an amused look, one raised eyebrow and all. I settled back into my seat and turned my attention back to my food and coffee.

  “You want to share with us what that was all about?” Deadeye asked covering his chuckle with a cough.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.” I replied and continued to sip my coffee and eat my stale cinnamon roll, suppressing a smile. I stared straight ahead and ignored them. The guys resumed listening to Straw’s story, and I let my mind wonder who this woman was and briefly wondered if I might ever see her again. Meeting her reminded me, I had no one to go home to at the end of a mission. Could I catch up to her before she boarded a plane? Get her number and give her a call next time I have leave. Why would I think that? I had no idea where she was headed. What had gotten into me? I hadn’t missed having someone to go home before. Why now? I must be beginning to slip in my old age.

  Now our transportation has arrived, and we are taken to base where we are introduced to a Commander Hurt and one of his SEAL teams. The men on his team are all well trained. They have been together for a long time just as our team has. It is easy to see they work well together. The team leader is Wolf. He is about my age and he seems to be well respected by his team members. We are introduced to the rest of his team. Abe, Benny, Cookie, Dude, and Mozart are all well trained men. They are all muscular, alpha men much like our team. It will be interesting working with them on this mission. I feel confident after meeting them that we will not have any problems completing this mission, safely.

  The next morning, we are briefed on the upcoming mission. We are teaming up with the SEAL team to track and intercept a shipment of weapons and drugs destined for the US. A drug lord, Hugo Lopez has become a major pain in the ass to our border patrol officers. There have been several deaths along the border in recent months. Intel has indicated that the increased violence is linked to Lopez. He is known to be brutal and will stop at nothing to get his drugs and weapons onto the streets in US cities. He has an extensive network throughout the U.S, Mexico, and most of the south America. It could be a long mission, as long as several months, but with any luck we will be able to wrap this up quickly.

  However, luck is not on our side. We spend several weeks gaining intel, training, and planning the mission to Columbia. It has been hard getting good intel. Hugo Lopez runs a tight ship. It has been very difficult to infiltrate his inner circle to get good information on his plans for shipping the drugs and guns across the border. We know that he won’t be able to just drive them across without drawing attention to them. So, what are his plans? A man like him doesn’t just blow smoke about such a shipment. He has a way. We just haven’t uncovered it yet.


  Chapter 3

  Charlotte

  We board the plane without incident. Dr Jones and I are seated several rows from the rest of our group. When I ask about it, he says that he couldn’t get tickets for us to all sit together. He laughs nervously and I wonder if he’s being honest. Glancing back where the girls are sitting, JoAnn glares at me. Flying makes me nervous. I haven’t done it much and with what happened on 9/11 it scares me. Dr Jones notices my trembling hands and reaches over to clasp my hand and squeeze it gently. He smiles at me reassuringly. He is trying to be reassuring, but it only makes me uncomfortable. I gently slip my hand from his.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. I fly all the time, and nothing ever goes wrong,” Dr. Jones informs me with a pat on my knee. When the stewardess comes by, he orders me a cocktail. I try to protest, but he assures me it will help me relax and not be so nervous on the flight. It does help, but I feel myself growing drowsy. Dr Jones leans into me and whispers. “Just lay your head over on my shoulder, hon. We will be there before you know it.” It seems too intimate. I like Dr Jones, but only as a friend and colleague. He is making it clear that he wants more. How am I going to make it through the next couple of weeks?

  We arrive in Guatemala several long hours later. The airport is a zoo. People are lined up everywhere, waiting on luggage, and to go through customs. Dr. Jones takes my hand to lead me through the crowd. Again, I feel uncomfortable, but I don’t want to get separated from my group, so I don’t argue. After what seems like forever, we have finally gotten our bags, gotten through customs, and we’re waiting out in front of the airport for our colleagues. A shuttle bus is waiting to take us to the compound where we will be oriented to the plan for our trip while we are here. Dr. Jones and I get into the van when the others arrive, and we await them to board the bus after getting their luggage stowed. He makes a point to usher me into the window seat and take the seat next to me.