“You like the rain, Butterfly?” Troy asked as he gently put his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the back of the boat.
“I just thought I’d never get out of there,” she said, her voice trembling. “I thought I’d be trapped in the cabin until they shot me.” Another door burst open, and she saw some of the other women being guided outside. “Oh my God,” she said.
“They’re okay,” Troy assured her. “We’re evacuating all of you immediately.”
Another man was helping Evelyn onto the ladder. With growing panic, she realized they were climbing off the side of the yacht in the middle of the night. There was a full moon providing some light, and some sort of large search light down in the water. “What’s happening?” she asked.
“There’s another boat already down there. Some of my team is still clearing the ship, but we don’t want to risk dismantling the explosives with civilians onboard.”
“So you have to stay here?” she asked in alarm.
“That’s part of my job, Butterfly. We’ll get you to safety, get the men released from the cabin they were held in, and my team will handle the rest.”
“What happened to them?” she asked.
“They were restrained, and a couple were wounded. We’ll take care of it, Butterfly. You don’t need to worry anymore.”
They paused for a moment, standing there in the full moon with rain falling around them. The women were being guided onto the boat, and Caitlyn wanted to burst into tears again. She was so overwhelmed with emotion.
Troy stayed with her, despite the fact that several of his teammates were helping the others. She was sure he was supposed to be helping everyone, too, or else assisting with the men, but she loved that he remained at her side. “I lost your number,” Caitlyn admitted. “I wanted to text you. I guess I didn’t save it in my phone after all.”
“I looked for you,” he said. “I looked up wedding planners in the hopes I could find you.”
Her heart swelled. “Well, I’m an event planner—not strictly weddings.”
“Yeah, it was harder than I thought. And while I hoped to see you at the beach again, I sure the hell didn’t expect to ever find you here. As soon as Evelyn said her event planner had red hair earlier though, I knew it was you. A gut feeling, I guess.” He reached out and brushed a damp strand of hair back from her face. “So, what do you say?” he asked, his lips quirking. “After this little incident is behind us, can I take you to dinner sometime?”
“Little incident?” she asked.
“Yo, T-Rex! Time to move, man,” one of the other SEALs called out. Troy glanced at his teammate and signaled something to him, then looked back down at her.
“I don’t mean to make light of it. I know you’re terrified, as are the other passengers. I’ve got to get back inside and finish this. But another night? Dinner?”
“I'd like that.”
His smile grew. “Okay, I'll call you.”
“You don’t have my number,” she said, looking at him in confusion.
Troy met her gaze. “I'll call you,” he repeated in a low voice.
Oh. She flushed, feeling silly. Troy knew everyone involved in this rescue. Of course, he could get her number. He could probably find out anything he wanted about her.
His teammate handed him a life vest, and Troy helped her to put it on. Her blouse was damp from the rain, clinging to her chest, but Troy didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. He adjusted the straps to fit her petite frame, working efficiently, and clicked the buckles shut. She was in too much of a daze to argue with him or protest. Yes, she was an independent, capable woman, but at the moment, she was out of her element and exhausted.
She reached up to brush her own hair back, and Troy lightly captured her hand in his.
“You said they didn’t hurt you,” he growled, looking at the marks on her skin.
“They didn’t—I mean, they tied me up. That’s all.”
He blew out a breath, clearly trying to get himself under control, and then lifted her hand to his mouth, gently kissing her wrist. She was both baffled and flustered by his sweet gesture, and then he swore as it began to rain harder. “Let’s get you off this yacht,” he said, lightly caressing her cheek, “before these freckles wash away.”
“The curse of being a redhead. And I don’t think I’ll ever get on a boat again,” she muttered.
Troy guided her to the back of the boat, clipping something to her vest. Even though she’d be climbing down the ladder, Caitlyn realized he’d secured her to a rope at the back as a precaution. She assumed they’d safely guided the other women over as well, but Troy’s careful attention to her made her heart swell.
She swayed slightly, and he gripped her arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’ve been feeling a bit seasick. I’ll be okay.”
He ducked down again, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Be safe, Butterfly. I’ll be in touch soon.”
And then some other Navy guy was helping her climb down the slippery metal ladder and into the smaller boat, away from Troy. She shivered in the cold rain as she settled onto a seat, the other women around her in as much shock as she was.
She began to shake in the cold and looked up, able to see Troy still watching her.
“She’s the last woman!” one of the other divers yelled down.
The guy who’d helped her signaled to
