Page 22 of Her Captivated Hero

“And how often do you visit?”

“Not often enough. I try to get out there for at least a week a year, and then an odd weekend here and there. They’re both in their late sixties. Their health is great. Hell, they could run circles around most Marines. Not a SEAL, but a Marine, for sure.”

“Don’t let Mike or Susan hear you say that,” Riya warned.

“Haven’t you figured out that giving shit to the other branches of the military is standard operating procedure?”

“They didn’t say that in the books I read. But I learned a lot about BUD/S, Jump School and Sniper Training. I read up on a whole lot of the missions that SEALs have been on. I’m surprised so much information is out in the public domain.”

Gray’s hands tightened on the wheel. “No kidding,” he snarled.

“Gray?” she asked. When he didn’t answer, she continued to probe. She hated unanswered questions, especially if she thought she’d made someone mad by asking one. “What has you so upset?”

“I don’t have a problem with some of those books and articles, but some of them are out of line. They describe too many of our covert ops in detail, and end up giving away privileged techniques and tactics that have kept men safe and innocents alive.”

“So how did your teams end up combating this?” she asked curiously.

As he stopped at a light, Gray turned his head and gave her a slow smile. “I like you Dr. Patel. I like you a lot.”

She wondered just how high of a temperature those seats went up to, because he sure made her feel warm and good inside. “Well, at least you didn’t snarl when you said that. I’ll put that into the plus column,” she teased. “Tell me why you like me.” She couldn’t believe how daring she was being.

“I like how smart you are. You immediately understood that we would have a counter-strategy in place.”

“Of course you would. You’re highly trained special operatives. If you didn’t, you’d be stupid and foolish. Nothing about you, Dex or Griffin strike me as low on brain cells.”

“You have us figured out. Ergo, I like you.”

The light turned green and he continued inland where the fog had lifted. Gray took his right hand off the steering wheel and tangled his fingers with hers. His touch was as magical as his compliments. She stared up into the night sky, ensconced in warmth and peace. The sight of bougainvillea climbing across a long line of fencing roused her out of her reverie. Riya opened her mouth to tell him to turn onto the unlit side street, but Gray already had his blinker on. Yep, the man had it going on.

Gray rubbed his thumb over her pulse as he pulled up to the curb and turned off the car.

“You awake, Princess?”

She rolled her head against the leather seat so she was looking into Gray’s blue eyes. “Yes. Do you want to come in for some coffee?”

He hesitated. “I want to, but I have to go into the office tomorrow and clear out some paperwork.”

“Oh.” Was that her voice sounding so disappointed?

“Also, if I go into your home, we’ll be on your couch for hours.”

Riya’s body clenched at the thought, then her mind clicked in. “I was only offering coffee.”

“Riya, you fascinate me. We would end up talking for hours. Then there’s this.”

Gray turned in his seat and cupped her cheeks. She shivered at the feel of his big hands gently holding her. His thumb feathered against her bottom lip, teasing and tempting her to open. She parted her lips, and swiped her tongue against his flesh.

“Do that again,” Gray demanded hoarsely.

Riya’s eyes drifted shut and she sucked his thumb into her mouth, loving the warm, salty and exotic flavor that was Gray. When he groaned she looked up at him from beneath her lashes.

His expression could have been pain or pleasure, but the way one hand started pulling the pins from her hair so he could weave his fingers through it, she guessed it was pleasure.

“Enough,” he finally muttered. Just the sound of his deep voice had heat coiling low in her body and she was twisting in her seat. Riya yanked at her seatbelt. It wouldn’t come off.

“Easy,” he said.

He slowly trailed his fingers down from her temple to her chin, then tapped the end of her nose, making her smile. Gray undid her seatbelt and pulled her closer. For once her mind shut down. She didn’t care how he’d made so much room between the steering wheel and his body, she was just happy she could settle sideways onto his lap. He made quick work of the sash that was keeping her trench coat closed.