Touching Ghost (SEALs On Fire) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Touching Ghost

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  About the Author

  Also Available

  Thank you for purchasing this Wild Rose Press, Inc. publication.

  Touching Ghost

  by

  Regina Carlysle

  SEALs On Fire Series

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Touching Ghost

  COPYRIGHT © 2012 by Regina Carlysle

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Diana Carlile

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com

  Publishing History

  First Scarlet Rose Edition, January 2013

  Digital ISBN 978-1-61217-794-6

  Published in the United States of America

  Chapter One

  His first thought upon seeing Sadie Ballew after all these years was that she looked like a blast of sunshine. A million memories, like fine wine, drifted through his mind. Intoxicating. Yeah, he could get drunk just watching her as the Key West sunset lit her curly ginger hair, framing her to perfection, as she fiddled with the stem of her glass, sipped her drink, and glanced nervously toward the boats docked along the Florida shoreline. Ren Ramsey stood at the perimeter of the picturesque outdoor restaurant on Sunset Pier and drank her in.

  How many years had it been? Ten? Twelve? Recollecting back, Ren figured she’d been a sparkly-eyed twenty year old with her whole life stretching out for her like a romantic movie where the heroine always got the perfect life with the perfect man and two or three beautiful, well-adjusted kids. He’d been…well, best not go there. The bottom line was she’d been a friend when he’d most needed one. Steadfast, loyal, sweet, and funny. That was Sadie.

  Unable to believe she was here in the flesh, Ren tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Truth to tell, Sadie had always represented light and happiness to him when the reality of his world, both present and past, was pretty much as dark as the pits of hell. Members of SEAL Team Arapahoe would shit a brick if they could see him now and could read his doubts and insecurities. Ghost—big, tough badass, linguist, spy, infiltrator—acting like a coward over a woman.

  They’d arrived stateside after a bloody-as-hell mission in Afghanistan a day or so ago, and the whole team had hightailed their asses to Key West for a well-deserved break. Dane Gregory, code name Dagger, had an actor buddy who was filming in Spain and, lucky them, they’d been given carte blanche to stay at a top-notch mansion while they were catching a breather. The place was spectacular and way more than what this poor Oklahoma boy was accustomed to, but he wasn’t about to complain about that. Once the eight members of the team stowed their gear, each had headed off to parts unknown to spend their time in pursuit of great food, some booze, and off the charts sex in no particular order.

  They were closer than brothers and overdue for a little hell raising.

  He’d hitched a ride with a couple of the guys and now stood outside the driver’s door of a borrowed SUV. Jesus Rodrigo Calderon, aka Zeus, sat in the passenger seat and sent his intense gaze over the occupants of the outdoor café. As astute as it got, he’d no doubt spotted Sadie. A tiny smile pulled at his lips.

  “That her?” Miguel Cruz, code name Coyote, slapped a massive hand on his shoulder. “Cute.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What the hell are you waiting for? Go get her.”

  “She’s just a friend.”

  Coyote grunted. “Whatever you say, Ghost. If this little reunion doesn’t pan out, look us up in the bar over there. I’m in the mood for a cold drink and a hot woman.”

  “Okay. I’ll probably meet up with you later. Zeus, take it easy, man.”

  Ren figured he and Sadie would have their reunion, relive a few stories from the ‘old days’ back in Oklahoma, and then he’d join the others for what was left of their R and R before they were called back to Afghanistan or wherever Uncle Sam chose to send them. When Coyote and Zeus took off, he returned his gaze to this sweet little blast from his past. Without warning, she saw him and her bluebonnet blue eyes widened. Her hand went to her throat just as her pink-tinted lips formed his name. That damn lump in his throat got tighter, but somehow he managed to put one foot in front of the other as he moved into the restaurant.

  Sadie wasn’t so subtle.

  She jumped to her feet, placed her hands over her heart, then wove through the cluster of tables and launched herself into his arms.

  “Ren! Ren! Oh, my God!”

  Ren wasn’t an idiot. He wrapped his arms around the softest, sweetest curves this side of heaven and breathed her in as her lips found his throat and jaw. “Hey, Beautiful.”

  Sadie stepped back, took his face in her hands, and just stared at him. “You look good. No, no let me rephrase that. You look incredible. Different but incredible.”

  “I’ve packed on a few pounds in the past ten years or so.”

  “Pounds of solid muscle maybe,” she teased. But Ren noticed the slight darkening of her eyes when she sent her gaze down and then up his body. His cock twitched behind the fly of his jeans, and, no siree, that wasn’t a good thing. They were just friends. Right? Finally, she grinned and reached for his hand. “Come on. Let’s have wine and dinner and talk. Oh lordy, how I want to talk with you. You have to tell me everything.”

  There was no way he could tell her everything because so much of what he did was clandestine but sit with her? Hell, yeah. Sudden curiosity about her life since he’d last seen her consumed him and he wondered if he’d get a peek at those deep dimples that popped out each time she grinned or if her laughter would be as he remembered. There had been many a lonely night, camped in the rocky hills of Afghanistan, when memories of her had kept him alive and hoping to regain the brightness he’d known so long ago.

  Ren allowed her to lead the way to their table. He settled her into her chair, unable to miss the way the silky little skirt she wore clung to the perfect curves of her ass.

  Hooyah.

  Yep, that was his cock twitching again.

  This might shape up to be an exercise in torture, but he was game to see it through. Once he’d taken his place across from her, he reached out to take her hands but was immediately interrupted when a young waiter approached with water, menus, and a welcoming smile. He ordered another glass of white for the lady and a cold beer for himself then pushed the menu aside. “So how are you, Doc?”

  “Your mom told you that I finished med school and started a practice, huh?”

  Clair Ramsey lived in Arizona now but kept up with the gossip network, and she’d wasted no time in telling him that Sadie had opened a pediatric practice with several other doctors. It hadn’t surprised him she’d chosen that field, and he knew she loved kids. Damn, he was proud of her. “I’m happy for you, Sadie. You’re living the dream. From the time you were just a little squirt you’ve wanted to be a doctor. Do you like it?”

  He knew that her affluent parents had expected no less than for their on
ly child to excel in all aspects of her life and, being a dutiful daughter, she had accommodated them and then some. Ever the realist, Ren never planned to have kids of his own but suspected that, if he’d ever had a daughter, he would want the same as Mr. and Mrs. Ballew.

  She nodded, smiling. “Yes, I love it. The practice is small but growing.”

  “Heard you got married.”

  “And divorced.”

  “He’s a damn fool.”

  Sadie shook her head. “Naw, he’s not. Not really. Tom and I are still the best of friends. It wasn’t his fault that I lacked a particular body part that he happened to need.”

  Ren’s brows shot up. Thanks to his mom, he was aware of the marriage, but this was a new twist. “Too bad he didn’t tell you about that before the wedding.”

  She laughed. “No truer words, Ren. For a few years after the divorce, I found myself asking every guy I went out with if he was gay. Not a positive thing in the dating world. Good way to find yourself labeled a little nuts.” Sadie shrugged. “Stuff happens, and if nothing else, I’ve learned that things aren’t always what they seem. I’m more careful, sure, but I’m happy.”

  Once dinner was served and they dug into their meal of grilled shrimp with all the trimmings, Ren continued to ply her with more wine and some questions, too. As always, what you saw with Sadie was what you got. She was honest and endearing in every way, and he couldn’t help thinking that it would forever be this way between them. Honest. Open. Real.

  By the time dessert rolled around, Ren ordered another beer as she bit into a fat slice of Key lime pie. A spot of whipped cream dotted her bottom lip, and he paused, his glass halting halfway to his mouth, as he watched her slowly lick it clean. Instincts long denied rolled sharply through his veins as he imagined the tart yet sweet taste of her. They’d never kissed, never touched, at least in a sexual way, and Ren wasn’t dumb enough to want to ruin a perfectly good friendship despite what his testosterone screamed at him.

  Long ago, he’d given up on dreaming. Dreams were for fools, but that didn’t prevent him from wanting to haul her beautiful body close and lay her down on the nearest bed. But Sadie was a forever kind of woman. In his line of work, a guy didn’t mess around with someone like her.

  “Mmm. Key lime pie in Key West.” Sadie wore a satisfied smile on her lips as she briefly closed her eyes and dabbed at her lips with a white linen napkin. “I’m so glad Clair told me you’d be here and that you agreed to meet me. A vacation and you all at once. I’m a lucky lady. How long do you have here, Ren?”

  Ren tried his hardest to concentrate, but her innocently seductive ways were killing him. He cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair as he studied her. The freckles she’d always hated were still there. Thank God. Like small soldiers, they marched enticingly across the bridge of her pert nose and decorated her cheeks. Most folks would describe her as cute, but she was so much more than that.

  Sadie was vibrant. She was all light and energy. In a word, she was special and he’d always known it.

  When she smiled, Ren focused on her lips. Big mistake for a man who needed to remain firmly in the friend zone. The image of that lush mouth devouring his cock swam through his mind. Now wasn’t that just downright poetic?

  Feeling like the worst kind of lech, he forced himself to return to the conversation. “Only a few days. SEAL Team Arapaho is stationed in Little Creek, Virginia. We just finished a mission and the powers that be gave us a few days to rest up. The group of us flew into NAS Key West and they were kind enough to loan us a couple of vehicles as a courtesy. We’re all staying at a big mansion near here. The place belongs to a movie star who is filming in Spain so the place is ours for as long as we’re here.”

  She waggled her brows. “A mansion. Ooh. Impressive.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a place to crash, and as long as nobody is shooting at us, it’s all good.” Sadie blanched white, and Ren wanted to rip his tongue out. “I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “No, no. Don’t apologize, Ren. I’m not stupid. I know that you put your life on the line every day. I always knew you’d do something amazing.”

  Ren looked at her, hoping his disbelief didn’t show in his eyes. “What the fuck, Sadie? I was the son of the town drunk who thought nothing of using his fists on his wife and kid. I had loser written all over me.”

  Sadie looked appalled. “Don’t say that! You were never a loser. You just had a hell of a lot of bad breaks, Ren. But I saw through that big, fat chip you wore on your shoulder. You were smart, too. Just look at what you’ve done with yourself and with no help, mind you.”

  Going silent, he studied his scarred hands, just another bit of evidence of the violence of his life then looked at the one person on the planet who had ever seen through him. To most folks in town he’d been poor white trash. But not to Sadie. His heart squeezed at the love he felt for her, and he mourned the fact that he couldn’t have been man enough to deserve her. “You were the only person who believed that, honey. That’s the plain, unvarnished truth. Have I ever said thanks for that?”

  Instantly, her eyes filled and Ren sharply regretted his words. Taking things into such heavy territory probably wasn’t the best idea. It might be best to just joint the others in the nearest bar and find a willing woman who didn’t know quite so much about his awful past.

  He shook his head and swallowed the remains of his beer. “Want to get out of here and take a walk?”

  Sadie could feel him pulling away from her, and she didn’t want that. For the first time in forever, she knew exactly what she wanted. The sad, scarred boy she’d known and loved was now a man. No less damaged but so perfect in every way to her that she wanted to fling herself against him, hug him tight, and never let go. The years since she’d last seen him yawned wider than the Grand Canyon, and when she’d learned he would be here in Key West, if only for a few days, she’d sprung into action and booked a flight. It would be a pathetic thing to not reach for what she wanted, to see if he might have feelings other than friendship for her. Sadie knew she was brave. She could do this. Deep inside, she believed she would forever regret not letting him know he was the only man she would ever truly love.

  And what a man!

  It was more than obvious that Navy SEALs had it all going on. Strength, brains, and a massive love of country. True heroes with enough sex appeal to make any woman’s heart go pitty pat. She certainly wasn’t immune.

  That gangly young kid who’d climbed carelessly into her bedroom window when things got bad at home had grown into a beast of a man, all brawn and muscle. Easily six-three, he wore his black hair cut short and a layer of dark stubble covered his strong jaw line. His eyes, solemn and filled with secrets, were a sharp piercing gray rimmed with thick lashes. She wanted to ask him if he was happy. She needed to know if there was any softness left in him for the girl he’d left behind all those years ago. Instead, she reached out and laced her fingers with his. For now, it had to be enough.

  “Are you happy?” she asked as they walked together and took in the sites. It was her first visit to The Sunshine State and Key West, and she wanted to take in every last detail. The fact that Ren was here with her was delicious icing on the cake.

  Ren squeezed her fingers gently as he looked her way. “Yeah, I guess so. The work is hard but satisfying. Gives me a sense of purpose. It’s a dangerous world out there, and taking out just one more bad guy makes me sleep a lot better at night.”

  Sadie shivered. She couldn’t think of a more dangerous and scary occupation. “It’s funny how most of us are worlds removed from what you guys do every day. We get up, go to work, and hang with friends, seldom thinking about how much it costs to keep us free to do those simple things.” She shrugged. “I know it probably sounds lame, but thanks, Ren. You are a real hero, and I personally feel a whole lot safer knowing you are out there doing such an excellent job.”

  “It’s a nice thing to say, honey, but there is a world
full of heroes out there. Including you. You take care of little kids. Not too shabby.”

  Laughing, she stopped in the center of the sidewalk and hugged him. “You’ve always known just what to say to make me feel tons more important than I am.”

  An hour later, the sun having brilliantly set over the ocean, Ren walked her to the high rise hotel where she’d booked a room. A restlessness had settled over him, and she was smart enough to pick up on it.

  Sadie was the first to admit that she wasn’t an exciting woman. At heart she was a small town girl who lived a life that was far from adventurous. She was ordinary in every way. Why in the world had she so easily bought into the fantasy that she could be enough for a man like Ren? Dumb.

  They rode up the elevator in silence, and an uncomfortable tension built between them. He was on leave, and she’d intruded on this precious time off by impulsively traveling here to meet him. Maybe Sadie had hoped Ren thought of her as she’d dreamed of him? Again, dumb! No doubt he was anxious to head off to meet his fellow team members to have some raunchy fun with the ladies. Blow off steam.

  Fighting disappointment, she turned to him, trying for all she was worth to ignore the way her belly tightened. Her heartbeat sped up, and she hoped to God she didn’t just burst into tears and bawl like a baby instead of instituting the plan she carefully formulated before hopping a plane here. No, she was going to do it this time. She would lay it all on the line and see what happened. Sadie didn’t plan on becoming an old lady who looked back on her life wondering ‘what if.’

  The time for action was now.

  “It was good seeing you again,” Ren said quietly. “Want to have some lunch tomorrow?”

  “I want more than that, Ren.” There it was. She’d done it. Nervous as hell, she licked suddenly dry lips. Her hands shook so she quickly balled them into fists, trying for all she was worth to shake it off. He cocked his head, his brows coming together in a quizzical little frown. Ren started to speak, but she headed him off at the pass. “I’ve been wondering about something for years now, and I aim to stop the speculating, here and now.”