Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(38)

“Organpipe cactus. I didn’t see it until you backed into it.” Gabe leaned down, tugging gently to release her hair from the spines. “These things can be hell to get out.”

Summer stood awkwardly, her hair caught in a dozen places. “Just get them,” she said tensely.

“Slow is the only way. Otherwise they dig in deeper.”

“Forget about slow. Yank them out.” As she spoke, Summer twisted her head right and left, only to find her hair seized by dozens of new needles.

“Stop moving.” Gabe caught her hands, then clicked on a penlight with a red bulb and studied the damage. “Nice job, Mulvaney.”

“What?”

“Your hands are going to be a problem. And your hair—forget working your hair free. I may have to cut it.”

“Fine. It’s just hair.”

Gabe produced a big army knife. As he leaned over her, Summer felt his warm breath on her cheek and the brush of his hard thighs. “Don’t get twitchy on me or you may end up bald.”

She closed her eyes, stunned by the sharp awareness of his body pressed against hers. The knife moved, then tugged hard.

“Sorry if that hurt.”

“I’m—fine. Just get it done.” Summer tried to focus on anything but the rigid torso against her belly. Hair drifted onto her arm while he sliced down, strand by strand.

The silence of the night was suddenly far too intimate. “Can’t you work faster?”

“No.” Another hunk of hair fell on her arm. “I can barely see, so I’m going by feel alone. I’m trying to spare some of your hair.”

“Forget about that and hurry. I want to go check the house.”

Gabe made an irritated sound as he located another cluster of cactus needles. More hair fell onto Summer’s arm.

She shifted restlessly, and Gabe gripped her shoulder. “I told you not to move.”

“Fine, fine. I won’t move. I won’t even breathe, Attila.”

More hair rained down, and then Gabe cradled her chin. “Last one. Hold still, because this could be the worst.”

There was a sudden, sharp tug at her scalp. Muttering darkly, Gabe knifed through a tangle of hair and held it up gravely. “Cactus three, Summer zero.” He dropped the hair on the grass. “All done.”

When Summer turned her head, she was finally free, but her jacket was still stuck to the cactus. Impatiently, she shrugged off both sleeves and scowled when the jacket stayed right where it was, impaled on the sharp spines. Ragged pieces of hair hung above the jacket, making a ghostly doppelganger in the night. “I’ve got cactus spines everywhere.” Shaking her head, she started up the flagstone path to the back door. “But at least I’m free for my round.”

“You take the inside, I’ll take the porch and roof.” Gabe’s voice trailed away as he vanished into the darkness before she could speak.

Summer inspected the ground floor, then headed upstairs. All the bedroom doors were closed and there was no sign of activity. After checking that the common windows were locked, she reset the alarm and left via the back door.

Gabe was waiting for her on the porch. “Any problems inside?”

“All quiet.” Summer frowned. “Except for my skin, which is howling from those cactus thorns. I’ve got to get these things out before I go crazy.”

“There’s an old trick. I can show you.”

I’ll bet you know all the tricks, Summer thought dourly.

At the steps to his guesthouse she turned and kept walking. “’Night, Morgan.”

“You don’t want any help?”

“If I can’t handle a few cactus spines, I might as well hand in my badge. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll see you in the morning.”



She tried pulling them out with tweezers. She tried digging them out with a needle. Both ways were slow, painful, and largely ineffective.

The final blow came when she brushed back a strand of hair—and ended up with tiny cactus spines scattered painfully across her face.

Thirty seconds later she was hammering on Gabe’s door with her elbow.

He took one look at her and stepped aside. If the man laughed, she was going to deck him.

“You were right; I was wrong,” she muttered.

“Not a problem. Sit in the chair by the desk.” Gabe vanished into the bathroom and emerged with a travel kit. He bent beside her and angled the gooseneck lamp, then shook his head. “You’ve got them everywhere. They must hurt like hell.” His hands were gentle as he tilted her face back. “Close your eyes and relax.”

Relax?

Summer took a deep breath, felt the light turn, warm on her face. Fingers brushed her brow.

“Better start with your hands.” Gently, Gabe cupped her palm. “This shouldn’t be too bad. Only a dozen here.” Wielding a set of surgical tweezers, he worked methodically across her palm, pulling out spines of all sizes. When he was done, he cut a piece of electrical tape and pulled out the rest. “The tape’s the old Arizona secret. Let’s see your other hand.”

As he spoke, Summer felt him wedge her body between his thighs. The man was amazingly strong, with defined muscles that made her just a little giddy. To make matters worse, when she looked up, his face was only inches away as he tackled an especially large spine.