Chapter 19

The scent of grilled burgers filled the backyard on Saturday evening, salty warm air kissed Austin’s skin, and laughter erupted around him. Austin squeezed Alexa’s hand as they walked through the gate of Wyatt’s yard, ready to join their friends. He was happy as hell to be back home in Hawaii with his girl. With their debrief and AAR, or After-Action Report, this week, he’d still been putting in long hours. But this weekend? The team had downtime and were ready to kick back and relax.

Alexa had on a strappy little sundress and flat sandals, and her dark hair blew gently in the breeze. Her sweet honeysuckle scent drifted around him as he guided her through the gate, and he felt his cock twitch.

“We’re late,” Alexa teased as she glanced back at him, and Austin chuckled.

While they still hadn’t made love since her surgery, she’d enthusiastically gone down on him in the shower earlier. Getting ready for the barbeque had been delayed as he’d reciprocated after their shower, albeit gently. Alexa was still healing, but he’d stretched her out on his bed, unwrapped her towel, and brought her to orgasm with his mouth and tongue, her naked body writhing beneath him, her pussy fluttering against his lips. Alexa’s cries of pleasure had filled his bedroom, and Austin had wanted to roar in approval.

She been flushed and sated afterwards, her eyes hooded, her pink lips in a perfect “o” shape as she’d tried to catch her breath. Austin had kissed his way up her smooth, creamy skin and simply held her for a few minutes afterward, happy and content to have his girl in his arms.

“Totally worth it,” he quipped.

“Indeed, sailor,” she said with a wink. “Maybe we can have a repeat tonight.”

“I wouldn’t mind feasting on you for dessert,” he said quietly, his eyes growing hot as his gaze raked over her body.

“About time you two kids got here!” Sawyer called out as the gate slammed shut, a knowing smirk on his face. He took a swig of his beer, watching them.

“Can it, buddy,” Austin said, but there wasn’t any heat in his tone.

Hudson chuckled but shook his head, quietly telling Sawyer to knock it off. Their friends filled the small backyard, a table already spread with food, a cooler filled with drinks. Wyatt manned the grill near the patio, and Austin could see Callie carrying more food over.

“Who’s that?” Alexa asked, nodding toward a blonde standing near Aaron.

“Aaron’s sister. Avery,” Austin explained. “She was supposed to fly in tomorrow for a week but her flight got switched around for some reason. She’s here for a conference I believe.”

“A conference in Honolulu? Nice.”

Austin chuckled. “Yep. Nice work if you can get it. I can’t say I’ve ever complained about being stationed here. Beats a hardship tour.”

“What’s Avery do?” Alexa asked.

“She’s a pediatric nurse, I think. Hell, I should know by now,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “Aaron’s talked about her before. She does a lot of volunteer work, too.”

“She’s pretty,” Alexa said.

“Yep. Ryan keeps eyeing her, but he knows the bro code.”

“Which is?”

“You don’t ever go after your buddy’s sister.”

Alexa rolled her eyes, which made Austin chuckle. “Aaron’s protective of her. I get it,” Alexa said. “She’s clearly a grown woman who can make her own choices, however. Is she younger than him?”

“Only by a few years, but what can I say? If I had a sister, I’d probably want to keep other guys away from her, too. I don’t have a problem with any of my teammates, but plenty of men just want a quick, easy fuck.”

“Some men are pigs,” Alexa said, wrinkling her nose. His lips twitched. While he didn’t disagree, she looked cute as hell with that expression on her face. His thumb lazily moved over the back of her hand as they stood there, caressing her soft skin.

Damn

Austin was almost sorry they’d agreed to come tonight. With Alexa’s emergency surgery followed by his week-long deployment, he hadn’t spent nearly enough alone time with her as usual. When she’d suggestively knelt down before him in the shower, his cock had instantly bobbed upward, hot, hard, and ready. And he’d loved delving between her soft, slick folds afterwards, spreading her legs wide. Alexa’s bare pussy lips felt amazing against his mouth, and when he’d licked her swollen folds?

He’d been in heaven.

Nothing was sweeter than making his girl come apart in his arms.

Alexa’s phone buzzed just then, drawing him out of his recollection. She pulled it from her purse, looking over the message. “Just another text from my mom.”

“Another one?” Austin asked, raising his eyebrows.

Alexa cleared her throat. “She texted me earlier, too. My father received additional anonymous threats. They’ve all come in the mail, and he turned everything over to the authorities investigating the situation. They can probably fingerprint the letters and link them to Duke, but my mom was concerned and wanted to let me know.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Austin asked, his body growing tense.

“Because you’d just worry,” Alexa said, gently rubbing his forearm. “I didn’t see her text until we were getting ready to go. We were busy with…. Ahem. We were otherwise occupied, so I figured we could wait to talk about it after the party.”

“Lex,” Austin said, gently turning her toward him. “This guy is threatening your father. If you’re potentially a target as well, I’d like to know about it.”

“So, I should’ve told you right before I wrapped my lips around your—”

Austin covered her mouth with his hand, smirking. “No. Not right then, baby. But seriously, if your father is receiving more letters, the situation could be escalating. Duke might be back in Oahu, but so am I. If I see this guy, I want to end it. Did she mention what the letters said?”

“No, because she didn’t want to scare me. And while my father is also concerned, he never fills me in on the nitty gritty details. His work with the Navy no doubt required operational security, so he’s used to keeping us in the dark. My father knows that I’m with you. Just because the two of you didn’t get off on the right foot doesn’t mean he thinks you’re incapable of protecting me.”

“I’ll always keep you safe,” Austin said, a rush of warmth flooding through him. Alexa was innocent. Fragile. Good. She might be fun-loving and carefree, but she also hadn’t seen the shit he and his teammates had dealt with. The darker side of the world. He’d protect her from that at all costs, but he needed to know what they were up against.

A flash of concern coursed through him. Was her father’s refusal to tell her specifics preventing Alexa from realizing how serious the situation could potentially be?

“I know you’ll keep me safe,” she said softly. “You and your teammates saved Callie twice. Look, we can talk to my dad if you want. We’ll call him tomorrow and press him for more information. I’ve been cautious. I’m not going anywhere alone. I couldn’t even drive myself, remember? This thing with Duke and my father has been an ongoing situation though, so I really don’t think we need to worry. My dad found out I was in the hospital and went into full-blown, overprotective father mode.”

“Duke was dishonorably discharged from the military, Lex. That doesn’t happen without cause. He has other problems aside from his grudge against your father. Some of his records are sealed, but the man is dangerous.”

“Hey! Do you guys want some food or what?” Callie called out. “Come on over! This is supposed to be a party.”

Austin glanced over at their friends, realizing he and Alexa had stopped near the gate in the backyard. He lowered his voice. “We’ll talk about it more later on. And yes, let’s definitely call your father tomorrow. I already started looking into Duke, and I don’t like anything I’ve found out so far. If this situation is escalating, I want the details. Every last one.”

***

Alexa choked back her laughter as she listened to the guys ribbing one another later that evening. Hudson was pretty damn funny, despite the fact that he looked intimidating as hell. He was a big, muscular guy who’d grown up in foster care. He had no shortage of entertaining stories, however, and had the entire group in stitches.

“What can I say?” Hudson asked as he continued. “The ladies liked what they saw. It was the worst karaoke this island has ever heard, but I had the women practically eating out of my hand by the time I was done crooning that song.”

“I don’t see you as the Boy Band type of guy,” Callie said, taking a sip of her hard seltzer.

“Nope. Not one bit,” Alexa agreed.

Hudson lifted a shoulder. “It worked. A couple of the ladies joined me on stage in the bar for one last song. I only took one of the women home that night, but none of them were interested in any of the other guys.”

“It was their loss,” Aaron said. “Look what they missed out on.”

“More like they saved themselves from dealing with you,” Avery joked.

Hudson’s lips quirked. “The girl and I actually went out a few times, but then she moved back to Maine. Fucking Maine,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll tell you what though—the guys who refused to sing missed out on a wild night. She was amazing in bed.”

Sawyer scowled, and Alexa chuckled beside him. He hadn’t seemed to like the story, probably because it didn’t involve any women throwing themselves at him. “Dude, you’ve got RDF,” Alexa said.

“What the fuck is that?” Sawyer asked, looking annoyed.

“Resting dick face,” Alexa told him.

The group howled with laughter, and Alexa didn’t miss the look Wyatt and Callie exchanged. They seemed amused as anything over her comment but were trying to hold in their laughter.

Austin pulled her closer, pressing his lips to her temple, and she could feel his own huff of amusement.

“Eh,” Sawyer said. “I’m not into women who sing karaoke. Most of those girls are too high maintenance and want lots of attention. Give me a girl who’ll grab a beer with me at night or show up on the beach first thing in the morning, trying to catch the best waves.”

“I didn’t even realize you surfed,” Alexa said.

“Only when I have time. Usually, we’re busy with PT early in the a.m. when we’re here in Oahu. I’m an amateur surfer compared to a lot of the guys out there,” he admitted. “I love the beach, and surfing is more damn appealing than karaoke.”

“Says the guy who can’t sing,” Hudson quipped.

“Surfing is hard,” Alexa said. “I’ve lived in Oahu for years and could never get it right. I had classmates in high school who were amazing. They’d go up to the North Shore and shred like you wouldn’t believe. I’m more of a calm water sports person,” she joked.

“I’ll take you kayaking sometime,” Austin told her. “There’s lots to explore around Oahu’s shores, and I think you’d enjoy it.”

“Oh, and you could get some amazing pictures,” Callie said.

“You’re right. I know I could get some incredible shots from the water. I’d need some type of wet bag for my photography equipment, though. Usually, I’m photographing from dry land.”

“Good thing you’re dating a Navy SEAL,” Wyatt said with a grin. “Austin will hook you up with whatever you need to keep your camera and lenses dry.”

Austin nodded, lightly caressing her shoulder with his hand. She was snuggled up against him, with Austin’s muscular arm wrapped around her, and there was nowhere else she’d rather be. “I’ll definitely help you get the right gear. When you’re feeling completely better, let’s do it. There are some really cool places to see.”

“It’s funny I’ve lived here longer than you but never kayaked. You’ve been stationed on Oahu a few years, and I’ve lived here since high school.”

“We’re boat guys,” Aaron said with a shrug.

“Yeah, well, my father was in the Navy,” Alexa said dryly. “I guess we weren’t big on family kayaking trips on the weekend.”

“Anyone need another drink?” Ryan asked as he stood from where the group had gathered on the patio. Ryan was the shortest guy on the team at around five foot nine but still solid muscle. His gaze slanted to Aaron’s sister. “Avery, would you like another hard seltzer?”

The two had been chatting quietly earlier in the evening, and Alexa didn’t miss Aaron shooting Ryan a couple of irritated looks. She nudged Austin. “He likes her,” she whispered.

“Yeah. That ought to go over well with Anchor,” he joked, referring to Aaron by his nickname.

“Sure, another seltzer would be great,” Avery said. She brushed a strand of blonde hair back, and Alexa didn’t miss Ryan’s eyes on her. Despite being slender, Avery looked healthy and fit. She had trim muscles and delicate facial features. Her appearance made her look even younger than she probably was, but the woman was gorgeous.

“What kind of volunteer work do you do?” Alexa asked her.

Avery cleared her throat. “I volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. I’m a pediatric nurse,” she explained. “We travel to countries around the world to provide mass vaccinations or help triage in areas of conflict. I actually might be leaving the hospital I work at and taking on a full-time position with them.”

Ryan walked back over, handing her a drink. Alexa didn’t miss the hint of a flush on Avery’s cheeks as she thanked him.

Aaron’s gaze slanted toward his sister. “That’s dangerous work, Av,” he said. “I’m proud as hell of what you do, but going full-time would mean you’d be living overseas in possibly dangerous areas.”

“That’s kind of the idea, big brother,” she said mildly.

There was some light laughter, but a slight tension filled the air that hadn’t been there before. “When did you decide this?” Aaron asked, his voice low.

“I’ve been considering it for a while,” Avery explained. “You know I love my volunteer work, but I really want to do something to help children in other countries.”

“Plenty of kids that need help here,” Aaron quipped.

Ryan cleared his throat. “I think it’s impressive as hell that you’ve done so much volunteer work, Avery. Many people don’t want to waste their time on something that doesn’t benefit themselves.”

“Exactly,” Avery said, looking relieved. “I enjoyed working at the hospital, but it just wasn’t the same as traveling to third-world countries, helping families and children who were desperate. Some wouldn’t receive medical care at all if we weren’t there offering those services.”

Sawyer’s gaze slid to Alexa. “Speaking of dangerous situations, what’s going on with your father? Austin filled us in about the threats he was receiving. Our CO was quite familiar with Duke. The guy’s a real prick.”

Alexa gave the group a brief update, despite the little information that she had. As she spoke, she noticed that Austin had stiffened beside her. He wasn’t happy to not know all the details of what the threats were. It was in his nature to worry, but Alexa found it hard to believe Duke would really come after her. She had nothing to do with her dad’s Navy career.

The conversation eventually shifted to other topics as the sky darkened and the group had more drinks and dessert. Austin remained quieter than usual, and Alexa gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She’d lived on Oahu for years, and it’s not like her father’s troubles with Duke had started yesterday. While she understood Austin’s worry, bad things could happen anywhere at any time. They’d call her father tomorrow but hopefully be able to forget about the entire situation soon.