Chapter 22

Aaron clenched the steering wheel as he drove Emersyn to her office Friday night. She'd thrown a cardigan sweater on over her little sundress, slipped on a pair of shoes, and they'd hurried out the door. He hadn't had a weapon with him as he'd escorted her to his truck—not that he'd need one to disarm a man. Aaron and his teammates were positively lethal. He'd killed with his bare hands before, and he'd do it again in a heartbeat if necessary in order to keep Emersyn safe.

"This doesn't make a damn bit of sense," he muttered as she ended her call with someone from work. "I know you weren't at the big drug bust last weekend because I was with you. Why the hell would a member of the Sinaloa Cartel be lurking outside your apartment?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I drive to and from the office every day, but we've got security at the gates. They'd notice if someone was hanging around and watching cars coming and going. Did he just pick a random car and follow me one day?"

Aaron grunted. "I don't know, but fuck this guy. He knows where you live. He knows what my truck looks like. He obviously knows where you work. It's almost like someone leaked your name and information to him."

Emersyn's gaze slanted his way. "I guess anything is possible, but everyone in my office is cleared. I don't think there have been any signs of a mole leaking classified information or the names of DEA employees. If anything, the Special Agents would be the ones in the public eye, easier to track down given that they made the arrests."

He shook his head. "I don't like it."

"You're not going to be able to come into the vault," she told him as they drove down the street her office was on.

"I know. I'll wait in the lobby, and if someone has a problem with my sitting there, I'll flash them my military ID. I'm not planning to leave you alone tonight."

Fifteen minutes later, Emersyn looked up from her cubicle as her boss hurried over, his face tense. She'd left Aaron downstairs and hustled to her desk, trying to find out if there were any updates. She felt almost silly sitting here in her floral sundress, but there'd been little time to change. Someone was after her. They'd tracked her to her apartment. Attempted to follow Aaron. And she'd never felt so vulnerable as she did at that moment. Knowing Aaron was downstairs in the lobby went a long way to alleviate some of her fears, but what about tomorrow or the next day? He'd have to go into base, and she'd need to be here, wondering if someone was waiting outside for her.

"I just got off the phone with someone from the Texas office. We've got a big problem," Rick said.

"What's wrong?"

"Remember how we suspected Wilder was somehow still able to access DEA classified files? It gets worse. He's been able to access not only the classified information that he's been selling to the cartel, but he's also been able to find out who specifically was working on each and every file."

"What?" she asked, the hair on the back of her neck standing up.

Rick nodded. "He knows the names of everyone who's been involved in his case—as well as others. DEA IT staff in Texas were finally able to track what he's been accessing and lock him out of their servers. He knows you and the other analysts in this office have been investigating his involvement with Alejandro Lopez. He also knows that you were part of the team of analysts that led to the big drug bust here over the weekend, with the arrest of Alejandro's cousin Antonio."

"He gave the cartel leader my information?" she asked, alarm coursing through her.

Rick's eyes grew hard. "He did. He provided Alejandro Lopez with your personal information. Name. Photograph. Home address. He hacked into HR databases and passed on the classified data of DEA Special Agents and analysts for cash. Alejandro Lopez knows of your involvement in the arrest of his cousin, Antonio."

"How is that even possible?" she questioned. "DEA has hundreds of employees. What would make Wilder single me out among all the others?"

"You were on both cases. You were investigating Wilder's connections to the Sinaloa Cartel and were part of the drug bust here on Oahu. Your name was attached to more files than any of the other analysts. When Wilder hacked into the system, he focused on you because you were the biggest target."

"But that's crazy," she said.

"It is, but the cartel swore they'd get revenge after Antonio's arrest over the weekend. They're out for blood, and your name is now one of the few at the top of the list. You're in extreme danger."

***

Aaron drove Emersyn to his apartment late that night, anger coursing through him. Emersyn's branch chief had provided him with a classified update before they'd left for the evening. Aaron had been escorted up to the vault and briefed on the matter, his career as a Navy SEAL and clearances no doubt paving the way for him to be read in. While Emersyn wasn't aware that Aaron's Navy SEAL team had been tasked to rescue Wilder, Aaron knew all the dirty details about the man selling out his DEA colleagues to a ruthless Mexican cartel.

Not only had the man turned out to be a traitor to his country, moving drugs and selling classified intelligence, he'd also provided the brutal Sinaloa Cartel leader with information on the DEA officers investigating him. And he hadn't just fed them any intel—he'd given them his girl's name. Wilder had told them about Emersyn, the woman that Aaron was already head-over-heels in love with.

Yes, he knew without a doubt that he loved her. It was fast, but it was also right. The thought of anything happening to her fucking terrified him. Aaron wouldn't be able to live with himself if she got hurt. It had nearly gutted him seeing her lifeless on the beach all those weeks ago, and now? After he'd kissed and caressed her, explored her body, heard her sweet cries of pleasure?

Aaron had planned to fully make her his tonight—spread her out on her bed and make slow, sweet love to his woman. Instead, they'd raced away from her place, spent hours at the DEA Honolulu office, and then finally headed to his own apartment under the cover of night.

Rage boiled through his bloodstream. Wilder wasn't worthy of anyone's help. He was a spy, using his IT knowledge and skills to steal government information for cash. It made Aaron sick to think he and his teammates had come close to whisking him out of Mexico. Would he have gotten away with everything if that had happened? He'd probably have tripped himself up when speaking with investigators. No one could cover their tracks forever. Aaron's only consolation about that op was knowing that Kim Burgess was innocent in all of Wilder's misdeeds. They'd saved her, a woman who knew nothing about her fiancé's greed and treachery, and gotten her out of the cartel's hands.

He slowed down to stop at a red light, glancing into his rearview mirror again. Emersyn's boss had offered to send a Special Agent to her apartment complex to watch over her, but Aaron had insisted on bringing her back to his place instead. He'd taken several detours on the drive to his own apartment building, making sure they weren't being followed. Aaron had looped in his commanding officer and teammates, and they'd been livid to learn the man they'd been deployed to rescue had ratted out Aaron's girl.

"I'm nervous," Emersyn said, and Aaron reached over and took her slender hand in his own.

"Hey," he said, his voice gruff. "You're safe with me. The good thing about my spotting the asshole lurking around your place earlier is that now we know to be on alert. Everyone will be looking for him. Honolulu PD put out a BOLO for the guy. He's not going to be hanging around your apartment complex knowing we've got eyes there or that the entire city is looking for him."

"I sure the hell hope he doesn't come back, but you and I both know that desperate men take desperate measures. The cartel is ruthless. We arrested their leader, and in their minds, someone has to pay."

"God damn it," Aaron growled. "I want to kill that fucker Wilder."

She huffed out a sigh, glancing out the window. Aaron squeezed her hand, then let go as the light turned green. In five more minutes, they were finally at his apartment complex. The circuitous route he'd taken had added fifteen minutes of travel time, but it was worth it to ensure her safety.

A minute later, Aaron was rounding the front of his truck, his gaze sweeping left and right. Emersyn didn't know it, but two of his buddies were there as well, making sure he got her safely inside. Hudson flashed his lights from across the street, and Aaron saw Sawyer's truck parked near the entrance. He could no doubt observe the entire lot from there. While DEA had offered to send their agents over, Aaron didn't trust that Wilder wasn't somehow still accessing the classified servers. The cartel members didn't need to know how many people were looking for them, and he was grateful his buddies had his back.

Aaron's breath caught as he opened the door, taking in Emersyn in the passenger seat. Her dress pulled across her breasts as she shifted, and he swore his mouth watered. Despite everything that had happened this evening, he still wanted to take her upstairs and kiss every square inch of her body, proving to himself that she was okay. He'd be content to simply hold her if that was what she needed, but at the moment, Aaron wanted her to forget about anything but him.

Her blue eyes held a trace of worry, but he took her hand to help her down. She'd put on flats to go to the office, and she barely came up to his chin as she stood on the asphalt. Aaron was moving her along before he'd thought about it, clicking his key fob to set his alarm as he moved her toward his front door.

Emersyn's head was swiveling left and right, and he could tell she was nervous. "It's okay," he assured her before ducking down. "My buddies are watching the lot," he added in a low voice. She looked surprised but nodded, swallowing.

Aaron hustled her up the stairwell, wishing he lived in a secure building. He already had his key out and put Emersyn in front of him, his body shielding her as he unlocked the front door. She looked relieved and simultaneously nervous as they walked into his apartment. "I don't have any of my things," she murmured. "Just my purse."

"I'll loan you something to sleep in," he said. "Or if you're the kind of woman who likes to sleep in the nude, well, you'll get no complaints from me." Her steps faltered, and he realized how nervous she really was. "Hey," Aaron said, catching her in his arms. "I promise that you'll be safe here. I've got a Glock in my safe and have a camera at my door. When I deploy, sometimes I can be gone a couple of weeks, so I want to make sure my apartment is secure."

"That makes sense." He gently cupped her face, tilting her head so she met his gaze. "I'm just scared they'll find me. I'm supposed to have a safe desk job. It's not like I'm TDY to the Middle East! I'm here in Honolulu."

"I know," he assured her.

"I just don't like knowing some jerk hacked into the HR database and put my name out there. He was able to learn everything I've worked on. Classified cases. DEA knows who accesses files on the servers for security purposes, but it's insane to me that one rogue IT guy can come along and steal employee information, selling it to whoever wants it."

"He'll be brought under arrest," Aaron told her. "Guys like that are arrogant and make mistakes."

"And the cartel leader? The man we saw tonight at my apartment complex took over for Antonio Lopez. His cousin Alejandro is furious about the drug bust. They're losing massive amounts of money because of the narcotics seized and cartel members arrested. They're out for revenge. He wasn't spotted at someone else's home. He came looking for me."

"I'll never let them hurt you," Aaron swore.

Tears smarted her eyes, and he ducked down to kiss her softly, hoping to alleviate some of her worry. Aaron thumbed away the wetness on her cheeks, and as Emersyn pressed closer, their breaths intermingling, the heat between them grew. He hadn't even shown her around his apartment yet, but suddenly he wanted her with an urgency that should have frightened him. Emersyn seemed to feel the same way. Her hands fisted his shirt, and she rose up to her tiptoes, trying to get as close as possible.

Aaron's fingers tangled in her long hair, his other hand caressing her throat as he kissed her deeply. Shifting slightly, he pressed her against the wall and let his hands roam, skimming over her breasts. Her hips. Reaching behind Emersyn to cup her perfect ass. He hiked up the back of her dress, his fingers skimming along the backs of her bare thighs. She shivered and pressed closer to him, her mouth opening as he thrust his tongue inside.

His fingertips caressed the curve of her bottom, teasing the sensitive flesh between her ass cheeks and upper thighs. Emersyn's little whimpers and moans as she pressed closer were absolutely driving him wild. She was flushed and breathing heavily. Pretty. Perfect.

"I want to eat you out," he murmured. "Taste that pretty pussy of yours."

"Aaron," she gasped, blushing.

"Emersyn," he countered.

He lifted one hand, sliding a sundress strap off her bare shoulder. One breast spilled free as he tugged the material down, her creamy flesh and pink nipple making his dick throb. He palmed it with his big hand, noting how Emersyn arched into his touch. Her nipple was peaked against his palm, and he gently squeezed her mound, listening to her soft moan.

Aaron slid the other strap down, bending over to feast on her breasts. She was so sensitive, she squirmed against him as he licked and sucked on her rosy nipples. Emersyn writhed against him, moaning, and he suddenly lifted her into his arms, listening to her little squeal of surprise. Aaron moved down the hall with purpose, Emersyn's bare breasts rising and falling with each breath she took. Aaron wanted to simply devour her. Kiss and caress her everywhere, then feast on his woman and make her scream his name.

When they reached his bedroom, Aaron lay her down on the bed, pushing her sundress up her bare thighs. She wore a sexy white lace thong, somehow both innocent yet hot as hell. His thumb rubbed up her slit, and he could smell her arousal. Sweet. Honeyed. Fucking perfect.

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to her bare stomach, lightly licking and nipping as he teased her. "Aaron," she pleaded, her voice breathy. He slid his thick fingers under the skimpy little straps and then tugged her thong down her slender legs, revealing her pussy. Her dress was still bunched around her waist, her breasts bare, but he didn't take the time to remove it. Aaron needed to taste her—now.

He lifted her legs over his shoulders and pressed closer, Emersyn panting as he spread her thighs. She was blushing, her cheeks a gorgeous shade of pink. But her blue eyes caught his, and Aaron knew he was a complete goner. He didn't tease her any longer, just leaned in and feasted on her. Licking. Kissing. Sucking. Letting his stubble lightly rub over her tender flesh. Emersyn squirmed against him, and he gripped her hips in his hands, stilling her.

"Aaron," she panted, trying to buck up against him.

He licked her again, holding her as he wanted as she cried out. "Good girl," he told her, his voice rough. He kissed her sex, enjoying the feel of her feminine flesh against his mouth and tongue. She was slick with arousal, her folds swollen and flushed. Licking his way up, he sucked on her swollen clit, listening to her low, sweet moan of pleasure.

Emersyn reached for him, and he gripped her wrists with one big hand, still holding her waist with the other. He pressed closer still, flicking his tongue over her swollen bud, listening to her gasps grow stronger. "Aaron, Aaron," she pleaded, the sweetest damn sound he'd ever heard. He didn't let up, his tongue lashing her throbbing clit, and suddenly Emersyn tensed and screamed, her pussy fluttering against his mouth as she came and came.

Aaron gently eased her legs off his shoulders, prowling up her body to lazily kiss her. She was looking up at him with wonder in her eyes, her breasts still rising and falling. Aaron undressed her completely, quickly stripping off his own clothes. His cock jutted out between them, and she reached out and gripped it, making him groan.

"Make love to me," she told him.

He kissed her again. Slow. Sweet. His own heart was pounding in his chest as he reached over and grabbed a condom from his nightstand drawer, sheathing himself. Emersyn was already pulling him back toward her. After he lined his erection up, he entered her slowly, Emersyn's pussy walls still spasming slightly around him. He stilled, trying to maintain his control as he looked to where they were joined. Emersyn was so hot and tight, he wanted to pound into her, but he needed to take his time, slowly driving her wild.

Aaron slid in and out purposefully, stroking her inner walls as he pinned her with his gaze. She was his. Now. Always.

Emersyn began gasping again as he sped up his thrusts, and Aaron pulled out, wanting even more. He put her on her hands and knees, lightly nipping at her neck as he lined his erection up and once again slid home.

Emersyn moaned as Aaron sank in deeper in this position. He circled one arm around her waist, holding her to him. His other hand slid to her sex, and he teased her swollen clit as he began to thrust into her once more. Aaron was in complete control in this position, her body his for the taking. Emersyn fisted the sheets, moaning his name, her pert breasts bouncing with his every thrust. He toyed with her clit, strumming lightly in the way he knew drove her crazy. Emersyn was panting, tossing her head back and forth, crying out his name like a prayer.

"Come for me again," he ordered. "Come on my cock, baby girl."

He thrust again as he lightly pinched her clit, and she screamed, burying her face in the sheets and clutching on to them helplessly. Aaron growled in approval and took her faster. Harder. Emersyn's gorgeous body was bouncing before him, her pussy squeezing him like a vice. As his cock thickened even more, he finally stilled, his balls emptying as he spilled his seed into the condom.

They were both covered in a fine sheen of sweat as he kissed her neck. Her shoulder. Aaron slowly slid out and collected her in his arms, trailing his fingers over the delicate features on her face as they lay facing one another in his bed. "I love you," Aaron told her. "I can't believe we met how we did, that I literally found you in the ocean, but now that I have you, I don't want to ever let you go."

"I love you, too," she said tearfully. "So, so much." This time tears of joy spilled down her cheeks, and Aaron kissed them away, his touch tender. He held her close in his arms all night, his body curled around hers, sleeping sounder and more contentedly than he ever had in his life.