Free Fall for a SEAL by Zoe York Page B

jet ride from New Orleans to Miami cost, anyway?
    “Don’t think of that right now, Ms. Martin.” She didn’t bother to correct him. Maybe formalities were a good thing when so much effort had been put on the line for...for...for...

    — —

    Drew felt her start ever so slightly before she turned white and hereyes rolled back in her head. He braced his arm around her back as she crumpled in a dead faint. His arm snapped tight around her waist, his other hand holding her head close to his chest. “Jesus,” he spit out, then scooped her up and carried her to one of the benches.  
    “Not enough food or sleep, and far too much excitement,” Rik muttered, and Drew waved him back. He needed a minute to think.Wanted a minute alone with Annie, even if she wasn’t conscious, to process what they’d just heard and figure out their next step.  
    What’s this “we” business, asshole?
    Kevin’s voice rocketed through his brain. He made a good point. Drew was no basic bodyguard. If he wanted that life, he’d retire and let Rik pay him handsomely for doing shit fuck all. He should probably think hard about gettingback to San Diego before the end of the weekend. One sick day he could get away with. If he wasn’t there on Monday, there’d be hell to pay. And not just because he didn’t file a memo.
    You can’t ignore me. Mitts off my sister.
    Non-issue, dick-head. It was over before it had even started, and the realization slid into his gut like a trickle of ice water.
    Before he could move away, let Calli orsomeone else take over, Annie moaned and blinked twice. “Whaaa--”
    “Don’t get up,” he admonished, pressing her back against the bench when she tried to push up on her elbows. “You fainted.”
    “Great.” She groaned under breath. “Could this night get any worse?”
    “This is worse than when we thought your life was in danger?”
    “More embarrassing, anyway.” She lifted a shaking hand to her forehead.“Everything is spinning.”
    “Give yourself a minute to get your bearings.” In his peripheral vision he saw Calli slip into the room carrying a tray. “And then you need to eat something.”
    “I can’t,” she whispered.  
    “You can and you will. And there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
    “I ran away from a weenie wannabe reporter!”
    “ I dragged you away from a potentially dangerous situation wheresomeone was spying on you,” he reminded her. “You wanted to stay and play Woodward and Bernstein.”
    She laughed weakly.
    As two pale pink spots reappeared on her cheeks, he eased away and held out his hand. “Up.”
    “Jeez, you’re bossy. I can do it my--” She batted away his hand and pushed herself up, swaying unsteadily. “Myself.”
    “Mmm-hmm.”
    “Shut up.” She leaned her forearms on her knees andshivered.
    “Eat, then bed.”
    “No, I need to apologize to Rik. All this effort--”
    Behind him, his friend cleared his throat. “It’s what we do. We can consider this a training exercise.”
    Annie furrowed her brow, and Drew cut her off. “We can argue about that more in the morning before I leave. Calli’s brought some food.”
    “You’re leaving?” She frowned and waved off Calli. “Drew, you can’t dumpme on this island and then abandon me!”
    “You’re in good hands here.” It sounded weak to his own ears, and from the narrow set of her mouth and the difficulty she was having looking him in the eye, even weaker to her.
    “I thought I was in your hands,” she muttered.
    “Sugar, I made it really clear...”
    “You know what? You need to stop calling me that.” She stood and addressed Calli. “Is there aprivate room where I could...”
    Rik’s wife didn’t even glance in Drew’s direction. “Of course. Follow me.” She picked up the tray of food for Annie and headed back to the foyer. Drew tensed, holding himself back from following like a lost puppy.  
    He clenched and released his fists a few times at his side, then turned back