Delta Recon (SEAL Team Phantom Series, Book 2) by Elle Boon

stare of Tay’s, and let the straw go. “I was a little thirsty.”
    He laughed. “I can see that.” He put his lips close to her ear. “Damn, but watching you, even with two people in the room, with your lips wrapped around that straw, has me half hard. Now, how’s that for crazy?”
    She knew her face had to be bright red. “I’d say it’s normal for the situation,” she whispered back.
    Tay ran a big hand over her head, careful of her injuries. “We’ll be out of here in no time.”
    No time ended up being just before the shift changed the next morning. Jaqui wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but having her IV’s taken out by Coyle wasn’t one of them, although the big guy was truly gentle. Of course, with Tay standing over her like a mother hen, he had no choice. They wheeled her out through the staff exit, to a waiting Hummer. She assumed it was military grade on steroids as it didn’t look like one she’d ever seen before.
    “This is on loan from a friend of mine. If something tries to blow this bad boy up, we will survive, trust and believe that,” Kai said with a wink.
    The soft leather was much better than what the military provided as well, but still, the move wasn’t pleasant on her sore body. Tay squeezed in next to her on one side with Dallas on the other. Kai and Coyle sat up front.
    “Here, take one of these now.” Tay handed her a pill.
    She shook her head. “I don’t want to be a liability if something went wrong.”
    Coyle turned in the seat. “Sweetheart, I hate to break it to you, but seeing you sit there in pain, hurts us. We would all relax just a bit, and you’d make it just that much easier on us if you took the drugs. Seriously, you are hurting the team by refusing Tay.”
    Tay held the little pill and a can of ginger ale. She’d gotten very little sleep the night before, knowing there was a mark on her head. After eating a small breakfast, they’d immediately left. Now, she reached for the pill and the drink, swallowing it down with a grimace.
    “Fine, but if I pass out, it’s up to you guys to carry my ass around.” She gave them a mock glare.
    Coyle turned back around, but not before she saw him smile.
    “I’ll gladly carry you around, sweets.” Tay lifted her hand into his.
    Their linked hands didn’t raise any of the guys’ eyebrows, which made her wonder how much they knew about her and Tay’s past.
    “They only know I fucked up. Nothing more. Nothing less,” Tay leaned close, his warm breath sent a shiver down her body.
    “I didn’t say anything.” She turned to look him in the eye.
    He brought their linked hands up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You didn’t have to. You have very expressive eyes.”
    “Where are we heading?” She turned to look at the road.
    “Home,” Kai said from the front.
    “Is that smart?” She’d love to go home, but worried about bringing trouble to their front doors.
    ****
    T ay didn’t intend to allow her to go home alone. No, he would be with her twenty-four seven. They had a plan, and when a SEAL had a plan, all would be fine. Failure was not an option, and in this case it most definitely was not. They’d almost lost Jaqui once, he’d be damned if it happened again.
    “Quit frowning, it’ll cause premature wrinkles.” Jaqui rubbed her thumb between his brows.
    He could see the slight action caused her some discomfort. “Try not to move too much.” He lifted her hand onto his thigh, hating the bruises on the top from where the IVs had been. Tracing his finger along the bluish lines, he promised to do all he could to never see the same marring her beautiful skin again. “I hate seeing you hurt.”
    “Almost at the hangar, then we’ll be in the air and home before you know it,” Kai said from the front.
    Flying from the East Coast to Hawaii was a long flight, no matter how they traveled. Stopping in California so their plane could refuel, they stayed on board while Dallas and Coyle went