SEALed with a Kiss (Alpha SEALs Book 2) Read online

  “I saw you a few weeks ago at Rebecca’s,” she commented.

  “I remember. You were wearing those cute little red shorts.”

  She cocked her head at him, a blush spreading across her face. “You remember what I was wearing?” That day she’d bumped into him had been ages ago. Still, she had to admit she was a tiny bit flattered this guy would remember what she had on the first time they met.

  “Why wouldn’t I remember a gorgeous woman like you?” His voice was low, gruff, but there was still a hint of humor in the way he said it.

  “I’m sure you guys all meet your fair share of women,” she said lightly, maneuvering around him. He turned to watch her rather than walking away with his already overflowing plate of food.

  “Don’t worry, I left a few things for you,” he joked.

  “Not much from the looks of it.” She winked and appreciated the broad grin that stretched across his face.

  “You’re a tiny little thing; how much could you possibly eat?” he laughed.

  “More than you think; I’ve got two younger brothers. I had to make sure to keep up. There wasn’t much worse than having two teenage boys in the house when I was growing up.” She grabbed a hotdog and put some fruit salad on her plate.

  “That’s it? Tell you what, I’ll let you wrestle me to the ground, and then you can have my plate.”

  “You’ll let me? I can think of a few things that could bring you to your knees, but that’s not going to happen.”

  Evan stepped closer, heat flaring in his eyes. She inhaled his clean, masculine scent, surprised at the way her blood pressure rose at his nearness. He brushed back a strand of hair that had blown across her face, and she had to force herself to remain still and not lean into his touch. No matter what she’d decided earlier about him being too young, she had to admit that it felt pretty darn good having his large hand brushing against her skin. She could think of a few places she wouldn’t mind feeling his gentle touch. And the desire in his eyes was evidence enough that he would be happy to acquiesce.

  Not that she’d allow anything to happen. She was far past the age of making out with the cute guy she’d met at a party. Especially when it would lead nowhere.

  “Tell me more about it,” he murmured, ducking low so that his lips were at her ear.

  “About what?” she asked, momentarily stunned by his closeness.

  “That part about you bringing me to my knees,” he whispered huskily.

  A beat passed, and she almost suggested they get out of there together. As if she was the type of woman who did that sort of thing. Something about this guy had heat and awareness licking through her, her body entirely too responsive to him. He surprised her, intrigued her, even though he was exactly the opposite of her type. Too young. Too macho. Too all wrong for her.

  For a flash, she imagined what it would feel like to have him haul her into his arms, to feel those hot lips and hard muscles moving against her.

  There was no doubt he’d be up for a good time, but that didn’t mean they should actually do anything about it. Guys like him were all about having as many women as they could. She was too old to fall for that game and not at all interested in being added to what was likely a very long list of one-night-stands.

  Alison laughed and pulled back, patting him gently on the arm. “Not going to happen, sweetie. I’m way too old for you.”

  She turned and walked back across the lawn, leaving Evan standing at the table right where she’d found him, looking completely bewildered.

  Chapter 3

  Evan bit out a curse, watching the supple redhead walk away. No, walk was too mild of a description for her movements. She sashayed away from him, swinging her hips in that damn skirt as if she knew his eyes would be on her the entire way. It skimmed the curve of her tight ass, sending flames licking through his body and blood rushing to his groin.

  Once again, he got a few peeks of her toned legs as she moved, and he longed to feel them tangled between his own. Or better yet, tossed up over his shoulders as he bent down to pleasure her, driving her wild with desire. The need to have her grew stronger with each step she took away from him.

  She was feisty, he’d give her that. There was the tiniest dash of spice mixed in with all that sweetness. He was pretty sure his eyes had just about bugged out of his head when she’d mentioned bringing him to his knees. The thought of her taking his throbbing cock into her luscious mouth had made him instantly hard. Thank God he was wearing loose-fitting cargo shorts—truth be told, they’d gotten uncomfortably tight at the moment.

  She’d been flirting with him, glancing up beneath those long lashes of hers. He loved that she barely reached his shoulders and had to tilt her head far back to meet his gaze. She was so small, it would take barely any effort at all to lift her into his arms and whisk her away. She’d seemed intrigued for just a second when he’d bent toward her, only to dismiss him a moment later, claiming he was too young for her. Hell if he didn’t want to show her all the ways he was not, in fact, too young. He was a man, and he certainly knew how to satisfy a woman.

  Maybe she was one of those chicks that dug the thrill of the chase. She’d shamelessly flirt with him, but he’d have to do a whole lot of chasing to catch her. He’d enjoyed chasing after women in his younger days, the college girls steadily coming in and out of his apartment every week—and coming in his bed, too, he thought with a wicked grin.

  Those types of chicks weren’t ready to settle down though—they wanted a good time, the allure of dating an older man, the thrill of being with a Navy SEAL. How ironic that after dating a string of girls who thought of him that way, he was now attracted to a woman who seemed to think he was far too young. Maybe that’s what he deserved after chasing after the college co-eds for so long. Wasn’t karma a bitch?

  He stalked over to the picnic table, grabbing a seat with Christopher “Blade” Walters, Christopher’s date, and Matthew. “Struck out again, huh?” Matthew asked sympathetically.

  “I don’t understand women,” he grumbled.

  The brunette seated beside Christopher laughed. “Don’t worry; we don’t understand men either.”

  “What happened?” Christopher asked.

  “The bases were loaded; I was ready to end the night with a home run—”

  “And game over,” Matthew finished.

  “Pretty much, bro,” Evan said, biting into his burger. It was damn good, and a helluva lot better than the MREs they’d eaten last week while deployed on a quick mission. He’d grill every night if he had a sweet backyard like this, but his apartment building didn’t allow residents to keep grills on their balconies. After wolfing it down, he took on the hot dog, polishing it off in just a few bites. At the moment he was starved for much more than food, but this would have to do. A cold beer chased down the meal but didn’t quite alleviate the emptiness he was feeling. What the fuck had gotten into him?

  Alison’s laughter trailed across the lawn, and he saw her talking with his teammate Brent “Cobra” Rollins. Shit. That guy seemed to draw the ladies to him like moths to a flame. No woman could resist Brent. His bad boy persona seemed to attract all the ladies within a mile radius. Maybe more. It figured he’d set his sights on the one woman Evan was interested in. He didn’t really see Alison as Brent’s type, but the woman was gorgeous. Even if Brent wasn’t interested in a long-term thing with her, he’d humor her, take her out—take her to bed.

  The thought of Brent’s lips on Alison, of Brent kissing her, making love to her, made his blood boil. No way in hell was he allowing that to happen. If he saw her leaving with Brent, he’d haul her over his shoulder and out the front door—consequences be damned. It had been a long time since a woman had genuinely captured his interest, and he sure wasn’t about to let this one slip through his fingers.

  He planned to have her one way or another—she just didn’t realize it yet.

  As he scanned the rest of the yard, he nodded in greeting to Mike “Patch” Hunter, the
remaining member of their SEAL team. He was chatting up a pretty lady as well, but Evan couldn’t care less about that. His eyes shot daggers at Brent again as Christopher and Matthew chuckled beside him.

  “You up for Anchors tomorrow night?” Matthew asked.

  “Sure, why the hell not.” It’s not like he had anything else to do. The thought of sex with some anonymous woman didn’t sound quite as enticing as it had in the past though. Flirt, take a woman home, make her breakfast, send her on her way. That routine was getting old.

  His eyes flicked back to Alison, and he saw her looking uncertainly around. Brent was nowhere to be seen, and Evan’s insides warmed at the thought. Had he shot her down? She seemed way too sweet for him, but then again, he barely knew the first thing about her.

  Evan usually was pretty good at reading people—all the guys on the team had to be given the dangerous situations they found themselves in. An error in judgment could mean the difference between life and death in battle, and their skills had been honed over years of experience. He didn’t think he was wrong about the vibe he’d gotten from her. She may like to flirt and had enjoyed getting him wound up earlier, but she was sweet and innocent just the same. Definitely not the woman for a commanding, arrogant SEAL like Brent.

  His heart wrenched at the slightly lost look in her eyes, but a moment later she was chatting with her friend Rebecca again. Evan sighed. He could relate just a little too closely to the look of longing written all over her face. Just like Alison, he wanted what he couldn’t have.

  ***

  Alison hugged Rebecca goodbye and said goodnight to both her and Patrick. The barbeque tonight had been just what she needed. After three grueling twelve-hour shifts at the hospital, she now had a few days off to recuperate. She’d had a great day at the beach and the barbeque, and she was looking forward to a few more days of pool time in her townhouse complex and perhaps another jaunt down to the ocean. Her four days off in a row felt more like a mini vacation in the summer with the water beckoning her, warm sunny days, and barbeques with friends. Alison welcomed the respite.

  She walked down the driveway and strode down the sidewalk, listening to the hints of conversations around her. It was after ten, but there were plenty of people around. Others were leaving the party, talking and laughing quietly so as not to disturb the rest of the neighborhood. She passed a couple walking their dog and another guy out for a late jog. It seemed crazy to run this late at night, but she understood wanting to avoid the summer heat. If she were the type of person that enjoyed jogging, she’d probably do it after the sun had gone down, too. The blazing summer days were meant to be spent at the pool or beach, not sweating as you pounded the pavement.

  The warm, salty air shifted around her as she walked, and she was glad the weather had been nice for the party. The spacious backyard was the perfect setting for all the guests—she couldn’t imagine all those huge military guys cramming into Patrick’s house. They’d have been elbow-to-elbow as they stood around his living room.

  A gust of wind picked up, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she hurried along. It felt like a storm was blowing in from the ocean. Too bad she hadn’t found a closer parking spot, but another minute, and she’d be safe in her car. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky in the distance, and she grumbled to herself as she picked up the pace.

  Alison stopped when she got to the crossroad she’d parked on, puzzled. She looked left and right, wondering if she’d somehow gotten turned around and headed in the wrong direction. It was the first time she’d been to Patrick’s house, but she’d parked along the main road right beside his neighborhood. It’s not like she’d parked blocks away on some side street and was unable to find her way back. This road intersected right with Patrick’s street. It didn’t get much more straightforward than that.

  She scanned back and forth one more time, her heart palpitating. Her car was nowhere in sight.

  Several fat drops of rain began falling from the sky, and she cursed. She’d have to go back to Patrick’s and hope Rebecca was staying there for the night. Or else ask Patrick if she could wait at his house while she called a cab. He had a young son that was sound asleep, so it’s not like he could very easily give her a ride home. She didn’t doubt that he would, but waking up a sleeping child to bring them out in this weather seemed like a bad idea.

  Wrapping her arms around herself as the rain began to steadily patter down, she turned back toward Patrick’s street. She scanned the cars leaving, hoping by some miracle that Rebecca wasn’t staying the night and would drive by and give her a lift. A steady stream of headlights filled the street as cars made their way out of the neighborhood, but as she suspected, Rebecca’s car was nowhere in sight.

  She bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. It looked like hurrying back to Patrick’s house was about the only option. She took a few steps forward, looking down to keep the rain off her face.

  A moment later, a large black SUV pulled up beside her, and she was relieved to see Evan, the young guy from earlier, unrolling the window.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, concern tingeing his voice.

  “My car’s gone!”

  “Get in,” he said, leaning over to open the passenger door for her. She gratefully climbed in just as the rain began to heavily fall. Evan switched the wiper blades to the highest speed as the skies opened, and she wiped the droplets of water from her arms, rubbing her damp palms against her long skirt. She was thankful he’d pulled up at that moment; otherwise she’d be soaked through.

  “Looks like I got here in the nick of time.”

  Alison laughed in relief. “That you did. Isn’t that what you SEAL types do? Rescue people?”

  “SEAL types?” Evan asked with a chuckle.

  “You know what I mean.”

  Evan grinned at her from across the console. “At your service, ma’am.”

  “Ugh—do not call me ma’am. That makes me think you’re talking to my mother.”

  Evan raised his eyebrows. “Whatever you say, baby.”

  He winked, and Alison felt a flush creeping across her skin at the way his low, masculine voice uttered the word “baby.” She was thankful for the dark interior so that Evan couldn’t see just how red her face was. She liked the way he called her that a little too much.

  “Did you park on this street?” he asked, cocking his head as he watched her. His eyes flashed with interest for a split second before returning back to normal.

  “Yeah, Patrick’s street was pretty full by the time I arrived. I circled back around and parked right over there.” She pointed, which was pretty useless, since there wasn’t a car parked on the road anywhere and they couldn’t see a thing in the pounding rain.

  “It’s a hurricane evacuation route,” Evan said.

  “But we’re not in the middle of a hurricane….”

  He shrugged, a cocky grin on his face as he gazed over at her. “Probably some overzealous tow truck driver. I’ll take you to get your car.”

  “Thanks, I’d appreciate it. I was getting ready to go find Rebecca to see if she could give me a lift.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  She shivered as the AC blast over her damp skin. She felt her nipples hardening and hoped Evan wouldn’t notice in the dark. She was wearing a flimsy tank top, which was welcome in the oppressive summer heat but not so great in the arctic interior of Evan’s SUV. His eyes skimmed over her, and he turned down the air conditioning without comment.

  The rain battered against the car as Evan slowly made a U-turn and headed back out the main road. “Don’t feel too bad—Brent got his car towed a few months ago from the same spot.”

  “Seriously? Did they charge him to get it?”

  Evan chuckled. “No, Brent can be a scary guy.” He cleared his throat, seeming somewhat uncomfortable. Not entirely sure what that was about, Alison pressed him for more information.

  “So what’d he do? Some kind of top secret SEAL move on the poor cashier running t
he impound lot?”

  Evan’s booming laugh filled the interior. “Something like that.”

  They came to a stoplight, and Evan glanced her way, raising his eyebrows. “Are you planning a similar strategy? I can be your back-up,” he added with a wink.

  Alison grinned. “You don’t think they’d be intimidated enough by me?”

  “If they were smart they would be. It’s never a good idea to mess with an angry woman.”

  “Smart man.”

  “It’s their mistake though—there’s no reason for you to pay for a tow when you were parked on a public street.”

  He pulled forward again as the light turned green, going slowly to work his way through all the standing water on the road. Maybe it was for the best her car had been towed—her little Accord didn’t have as much a chance in all this water as Evan’s monstrous SUV.

  A boom of thunder sounded, and Alison jumped. Evan reached over and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, his eyes still on the road. “It’s okay; you’re safe with me.”

  His words washed over her, comforting her like a warm blanket. Or maybe that was just the burning feeling of his large hand on her arm. She liked the feel of his fingers on her skin a little too much. Even after he removed it, she felt the heat of it there, like he’d imprinted his handprint on her arm. Awareness washed over her at his solid presence at her side. This guy was way too young for her, although she had to admit, she liked how confidently he navigated the flooded streets. How he reassured her when he really had no need. She’d seen that protective instinct in Patrick when he was around Rebecca and her daughter, and Alison realized that all the guys on his SEAL team were that way—alpha males set on controlling the situation and protecting those around them.

  “I guess this weather is nothing for you,” she commented.

  “How’s that?”

  “Rebecca said you guys train in all kinds of crazy weather. She wasn’t too thrilled when Patrick went scuba diving in the middle of a storm.”