Navy SEAL Noel Read Online Free
Author: Liz Johnson
leaving her arm twisted and useless. Fire screamed up to her kinked shoulder.
He promptly cut off her shriek with a callused hand clamped over her mouth. His steely arm pinned hers to her side and pressed her body against his chest. She writhed and shook, trying to free herself, but the wall of muscle at her back didnât even seem to register her struggle. Her frantic effort only made her lungs burn for the oxygen he was depriving her of.
When her head began spinning in earnest, her muscles went limp and her fight ebbed away.
Only then did she realize that the man was speaking softly in her ear, his whispered breath fanning the trembling muscles of her neck.
âJess, calm down. I wonât hurt you.â The words made no sense to her muddled brain, but they continued, quiet and assured. âDonât scream. Itâs all right. I wonât let anything happen to you.â
It wasnât the words that made her sink into him, but the voice that, even after all this time, sheâd recognize anywhere. Her eyes hadnât been playing tricks on her that afternoon. Will Gumble was in this compound. In her very room.
He must have sensed her acquiescence. He slowly loosened his hand from over her mouth and rested it on her upper arm. His firm grip was the only thing that kept her standing.
âWhat are youââ Her words were little more than a frantic sigh as he spun her around. Pressing one finger to his lips, he raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the only other door in the room.
He didnât wait for her to agree, just steered her toward the bathroom and closed the door behind them.
She yanked on the string above the sink, and the naked bulb over the cloudy mirror burst to life, bathing them in its yellow glow. Jess blinked against the sudden brightness.
Will didnât seem to have the same trouble. He immediately lifted the lid off the toilet tank and peered inside before running his hands under the white porcelain sink. With a finger he swiped around the edge of the mirror. Then he leaned forward until her nose was almost pressed to his chest, and he swiped his hand over the top of the door frame.
He pulled back and nodded, as if satisfied. âItâs clear. There may be bugs in your room, so we should never talk in there. But this should be safe for now.â
Scrambling to catch up to his train of thought, Jess surveyed the sink and mirror. How could he act so casual? As if it hadnât been ten years since theyâd spoken? As if he hadnât just shown up in a foreign country where she was being held prisoner? As if the very sight of him didnât make her knees weak with relief?
âI thought I saw youâI thought that was you, but...â Her words were little more than a whisper despite his assurance that it was safe to speak. Her stomach pitched, fear and relief mingling with alarm and the echo of a remembered betrayal. But dealing with her emotions would have to wait until she felt steadier on her feet. Exhaustion and the ebbing of her fight-or-flight adrenaline rush had left her legs like jelly. She leaned into Will. He held out his arms, as though he knew just what she needed. As though he was still someone who cared about taking care of her, being there for her.
But she didnât want him holding her. She wanted answers. She wanted to understand what on earth was happening. Most of all, she wanted to silence the little voice in her head that kept saying Willâs appearance was simply a dream or hallucination.
Yanking herself upright at the last possible moment, she shoved his chest with both hands. âYou scared me to death! Why did you break into my room? What are you doing here?â
His lopsided grin had always started with a little quirk to the left before spreading across his mouth. And that hadnât changed, even as he looked down at the tiny black-and-white-checkered floor tiles.
He scraped his fingers over the black whiskers
He promptly cut off her shriek with a callused hand clamped over her mouth. His steely arm pinned hers to her side and pressed her body against his chest. She writhed and shook, trying to free herself, but the wall of muscle at her back didnât even seem to register her struggle. Her frantic effort only made her lungs burn for the oxygen he was depriving her of.
When her head began spinning in earnest, her muscles went limp and her fight ebbed away.
Only then did she realize that the man was speaking softly in her ear, his whispered breath fanning the trembling muscles of her neck.
âJess, calm down. I wonât hurt you.â The words made no sense to her muddled brain, but they continued, quiet and assured. âDonât scream. Itâs all right. I wonât let anything happen to you.â
It wasnât the words that made her sink into him, but the voice that, even after all this time, sheâd recognize anywhere. Her eyes hadnât been playing tricks on her that afternoon. Will Gumble was in this compound. In her very room.
He must have sensed her acquiescence. He slowly loosened his hand from over her mouth and rested it on her upper arm. His firm grip was the only thing that kept her standing.
âWhat are youââ Her words were little more than a frantic sigh as he spun her around. Pressing one finger to his lips, he raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the only other door in the room.
He didnât wait for her to agree, just steered her toward the bathroom and closed the door behind them.
She yanked on the string above the sink, and the naked bulb over the cloudy mirror burst to life, bathing them in its yellow glow. Jess blinked against the sudden brightness.
Will didnât seem to have the same trouble. He immediately lifted the lid off the toilet tank and peered inside before running his hands under the white porcelain sink. With a finger he swiped around the edge of the mirror. Then he leaned forward until her nose was almost pressed to his chest, and he swiped his hand over the top of the door frame.
He pulled back and nodded, as if satisfied. âItâs clear. There may be bugs in your room, so we should never talk in there. But this should be safe for now.â
Scrambling to catch up to his train of thought, Jess surveyed the sink and mirror. How could he act so casual? As if it hadnât been ten years since theyâd spoken? As if he hadnât just shown up in a foreign country where she was being held prisoner? As if the very sight of him didnât make her knees weak with relief?
âI thought I saw youâI thought that was you, but...â Her words were little more than a whisper despite his assurance that it was safe to speak. Her stomach pitched, fear and relief mingling with alarm and the echo of a remembered betrayal. But dealing with her emotions would have to wait until she felt steadier on her feet. Exhaustion and the ebbing of her fight-or-flight adrenaline rush had left her legs like jelly. She leaned into Will. He held out his arms, as though he knew just what she needed. As though he was still someone who cared about taking care of her, being there for her.
But she didnât want him holding her. She wanted answers. She wanted to understand what on earth was happening. Most of all, she wanted to silence the little voice in her head that kept saying Willâs appearance was simply a dream or hallucination.
Yanking herself upright at the last possible moment, she shoved his chest with both hands. âYou scared me to death! Why did you break into my room? What are you doing here?â
His lopsided grin had always started with a little quirk to the left before spreading across his mouth. And that hadnât changed, even as he looked down at the tiny black-and-white-checkered floor tiles.
He scraped his fingers over the black whiskers
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