“Yeah, he’s hot,” Jessica said, her eyes not leaving the other one.
A moment later, they were there. Jessica stayed seated on the beach towel as her friends walked over to greet the two guys. “I’m Jacob, and this is Ryker,” her guy said.
“Michelle, Amy, and Jessica,” Michelle said, pointing at each of them. She batted her eyelashes at Ryker, and he eyed her appreciatively.
“Oh, there’s that guy I met last night!” Amy said, suddenly waving at another man walking along the beach. “I need to go say hi. I’ll be right back!” she said, hurrying over toward him.
Jacob chuckled and then strode right toward Jessica as she felt her skin heat. Just as she was wondering if she should stand up and introduce herself, he dropped down beside her in the sand, acting as if he joined women he didn’t know every single night.
Heck, maybe he did.
“I’m Jacob,” he said, holding out a muscular hand.
She shook it, flushing as his gaze slid over her. She suddenly felt naked in her green bikini. Jacob had on khaki cargo shorts and a tee shirt. His long legs stretched out before him, and she could see the dark springy hairs on them. He had a faint scent of soap and aftershave, and she could feel the heat radiating off his muscular body.
“Jessica,” she said, reluctantly letting go of his hand.
Heat had surged through her at his touch. Her whole body felt alive at his closeness, at the electricity surging between them. He wasn’t even touching her anymore, but she could swear she still felt his hand burning into her skin.
“Do you ladies want to join us at the bonfire? We’ve got plenty of food and drinks to share. Our friends are all over there, too, so you wouldn’t feel strange being the only women with us or anything.”
Jessica’s gaze slid toward the group. Some of the women were holding babies or helping their kids. Others were clearly standing beside their boyfriend or husband. “You don’t have a girlfriend?” she blurted out.
Jacob chuckled, the deep sound doing something funny to her insides. He took a swig of his beer and smiled at her. “Negative, angel. Ryker and I are both one hundred percent single. The rest of our team?” he said, cocking his head in the direction of the bonfire. “They’ve all got wives and girlfriends. They can vouch for us if you’re worried about two guys you don’t know.”
“Your team?” she asked, confused.
His brown eyes met hers. “We’re military. Our base isn’t too far from here.”
She nodded, getting the feeling he was being purposefully vague. “Are you in the Navy or something?”
“Yes ma’am,” he confirmed.
“Ma’am,” she said, laughing. She brushed another strand of hair back as the ocean breeze blew in and nervously turned her beer bottle around in her hands. “Now I feel like I’m a million years old.”
His lips quirked. “I’m just being polite. But I didn’t want you to worry about coming over to the bonfire. You’ll be perfectly safe with us—there are families over there, kids.”
She nodded, still feeling shy. They’d met men at the bars and restaurants all week. She hadn’t gone home with any, but why did Jacob suddenly make her feel so nervous? If anything, this was less of a pick-up scene than the bars she’d been at. She was sitting on the beach in her bikini for crying out loud. Sure, he’d come over to say hi, but it’s not like he was asking to buy her a drink and take her home for the night.
“Some of your friends are watching us,” she said, noticing some of the muscular men looking her way.
“So they are,” he said, his voice deep. “Don’t worry about them. If anything, they’ll just give me a hard time if you shoot me down. But no worries. I can handle them,” he added with a chuckle.
“Hey, Jess, Ryker just asked if we want to hit up the bonfire. What do you say?” Michelle asked.
“Sure, I’m in,” Jessica said.
Jacob jumped to his feet in a movement so quick she barely saw it. A beat later, he was reaching out a muscular hand to her, pulling her up right along beside him. She hadn’t realized how tall he was until they were standing side by side, but he positively towered above her—all beef and brawn compared to her slender frame.
She was only five-foot-four, and since Jacob had to be at least six feet, he seemed massive compared to her. That and the fact that with his muscular frame, he could probably bench press her and her friends if he wanted.
“Let me just grab my cover-up,” she said, flushing slightly as his appreciative gaze slid over her.
“Sure thing, angel.”
She ducked down, feeling his gaze on her ass, and pulled her sundress from her tote bag. Jacob took another swig of his beer. “Let me hold your drink,” he said, reaching out and grabbing it before she could respond. His warm fingers brushed against hers, sending shivers racing down her spine.
She pulled the dress over her head, instantly feeling more confident, and Jacob handed her beer back.
Michelle snaked her arm through Ryker’s and pranced right over in her bikini without a second thought.
Feeling more comfortable in her sundress, Jessica started walking along beside Jacob. Although her friend and his were already flirting like crazy as they walked toward the bonfire, Jessica made sure to keep space between her and Jacob.
Sure, he was sizzling hot, but she didn’t want him to get the wrong impression or something. Michelle would probably be more than happy to spend the night with Ryker, but Jessica didn’t sleep with men she just met.
Kissing a guy she didn’t know would be wild for her. And she wasn’t about to kiss him either. Not when she’d known him for mere minutes.
She blushed, shocked at where her line of thought was going. What made her think he’d want to kiss her anyway? They’d asked her and Michelle to join their friends.
For all she knew, he was interested in Michelle or Amy, not her.
“So are you here for the week?” Jacob asked, his voice low.
“The summer, actually. We’re renting a house.”
Jacob let out a low whistle. “Sounds pretty sweet. Are you students or something? Not many people get the entire summer off.”
“Teachers, actually,” she said with a laugh. “Usually I tutor kids over the summer or teach summer school, but this year my friends and I decided to go all out and live a little. You’re only young once, right?”
“Absolutely,” he agreed. “Hell, I’m thirty-four. Does that qualify as young? I don’t know,” he said with a wink.
“Definitely not,” she teased.
Jacob shot his crooked grin at her. “Ouch. I’m wounded. Don’t worry, I’m too much of a gentleman to ask you your age.”
She shrugged, flushing at his appreciative look. Her sundress blew in the wind, and she took another step in the sand toward the bonfire. “I’m twenty-five. I feel really old though compared to the high school kids I teach.”
“Aw, you’re just a baby,” he quipped, winking again. “I’m just teasing you. That’s awesome you and your friends came for the summer. So you’re really not working at all?”
“Michelle’s parents helped pay for the rental. Amy and I are just chipping in. Otherwise we’d never be able to afford this on a teacher’s salary.”
She blushed furiously as he glanced down at her. Why was she babbling so much anyway? She didn’t owe him an explanation.
“Sounds like a sweet deal. Where are you from?”
“Blacksburg,” she said, referencing a southwestern Virginia town clear across the state.
“Mountains are good,” he said, nodding. “They don’t exactly compare to the beach though.”
“Not at all,” she agreed. “Every time I come to the Tidewater area, I’m convinced I should move here.”
“Living here for the summer’s a good start. And hell, there are teaching jobs for sure around here if you ever do change your mind. Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone so you feel more comfortable. They all know me—so ask any questions you want.”
>
“Anything?” she teased.
“Whatever you want. I’d love for you to hang out with me and my friends. And since I’m being upfront, I’d love to take you out sometime, too. Without my friends,” he added with a low chuckle.
“Um, let’s see how tonight goes,” she murmured.
“Fair enough, angel. Come hang out with us at the bonfire for a while. You don’t have to agree right now. I live nearby and am stationed at Little Creek. Same with the other guys. So the chances are good we’ll run into each other again anyway.”
She nodded, something flickering in the back of her mind. She’d heard of Little Creek in passing. But did that mean Jacob was one of the SEALs stationed there? Or maybe he just worked on base. Certainly not everyone was part of a SEAL team.
She felt out of her element. In Blacksburg, lots of people worked for Virginia Tech. It wasn’t a huge military town like Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Was she going to hang out with Jacob for the night or the week and then he’d be deployed somewhere? Sent off on a mission?
He hadn’t volunteered a lot about his job, but she was beginning to wonder if there was a reason for that.
“Joker!” a tall guy with dark hair called out as they walked up to the group. He grinned, and his gaze shifted to her. “How’d you let him talk you into coming over here?”
“Hey now, don’t scare her off,” Jacob said. “I just convinced her it was okay to come join us.”
“Just ignore them,” a blonde woman with an eyebrow ring said. “I’m Bailey. Noah’s with me,” she said, nodding toward the guy who’d just been talking. “I’m a bartender further down the beach if you and your friends want to come by one night. I’ll hook you ladies up with some drink specials.”
“Sounds good,” Jessica said, watching as Noah wrapped his arm around Bailey’s shoulders. She couldn’t see his eyes beneath the aviators he had on, but the expression on his face seemed to indicate that he was completely smitten with her.
“Hi, I’m Brianna,” another woman said, walking over to her. “I’m with Matthew over there. And this is our little guy,” she added, glancing down at the baby in her arms.
“He’s adorable,” Jessica said, watching as Brianna walked off again.
“Can I get you some food?” Jacob asked. “We’ve got hotdogs, sides, chips—you name it.”
“Oh, uh, no thanks. I’m fine,” Jessica said.
“What? I insist. Come on,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her closer to the bonfire. “Let me at least roast you a hotdog or something. I can’t invite you to a bonfire and not feed you.” She tried not to react to the electricity coursing through her at his touch. The feel of his calloused fingertips against her skin had sent heat licking through her entire body.
He was big. Muscular. And his focus was one hundred percent on her. She almost didn’t know what to do with that attention. This wasn’t a date or something—just a group of friends together on the beach.
But he’d made it clear to everyone that she was with him tonight, just from his simple gestures.
Jacob ducked down, pulling more food from a cooler, and she noticed the way his shirt stretched across his biceps. He probably had six-pack abs under that tee shirt. Her gaze tracked down to his muscular thighs—although he wasn’t bulky like some of the guys, he was ripped all over.
Muscles upon muscles of pure masculine strength.
A guy like him was intimidating enough without the killer body. This group of men could annihilate anyone in a minute if they wanted. Although they were joking around though, the ones with their women seemed totally attentive to them.
Just like how Jacob was being attentive to her.
He ripped open another package of hotdogs and grabbed two skewers. “Want me to roast yours?” he asked. “Or would you rather do the honors?”
“Oh, uh, sure,” she murmured, glancing around. A few gazes landed on her, but most of the group was busy talking amongst themselves or tending to their kids.
She did a double-take as she spotted their waitress from the other night there as well. “Hi! I recognize you and your friends,” she said, walking over. “I’m Taylor.”
“You guys went to Anchors?” Jacob asked, flashing her a grin.
“Yeah, the other night,” Jessica said, flushing. The place had been teeming with military men. Briefly, she wondered if Jacob had been there or if he thought they’d gone there just to meet some guys. “We were walking down the boardwalk and spotted it.”
“We haven’t been in a week or so,” Jacob said. “It’s kind of a hangout of sorts for our team. I’d definitely remember if I spotted you there.”
“That he would’ve,” Taylor agreed.
“You definitely would’ve noticed us thanks to Michelle,” Jessica said dryly. “She was practically dancing on top of the bar the other night.”
“She had a few too many,” Taylor said smoothly. “Nothing we haven’t seen before. You should ask Bailey to tell you some stories—she’s a bartender further down the beach and gets all sorts in there.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Jessica said, gingerly taking the hotdog that Jacob handed to her. Steam rose from it, and she took a careful bite of the roasted hotdog, watching as Jacob raised his eyebrows.
“No ketchup? No mustard? Nothing?”
“It’s better this way,” she insisted.
“Oh man. You are missing out,” he teased, grabbing some of the condiments standing on top of another cooler.
A tall guy walked up and snaked his arm around Taylor’s shoulders, pulling her close. “Hey, I’m Mason,” he said easily.
Introductions were made, and Jessica began to feel more at ease as she glanced around the group.
“We’re going for a swim!” Michelle suddenly declared, dragging Ryker along with her toward the water. Some of the men chuckled as Ryker let her pull him along.
Jessica scanned the area, realizing that Amy was nowhere in sight. She’d been talking to the guy they’d met earlier down by the water, but neither of them were anywhere on the beach.
“Everything okay?” Jacob asked, noticing her concern.
“I’m just looking for my friend Amy. She went down to the water to talk to that guy she met the other night. I don’t see her—actually, I don’t see him either.”
“Looks like they’re swimming,” Mason said, nodding toward the water. Two small figures bobbed in the distance, and Jessica gasped as she realized how far out in the ocean they were.
“Oh my God, are they okay?” she asked.
Jacob frowned. “I’m not sure, angel. There aren’t any lifeguards at this end of the beach, and they’re pretty far out in the water.”
Suddenly Michelle and Ryker turned toward them from the shore. “They need help!” Ryker shouted, gesturing to his friends. Without any discussion, four of the men began running toward the water. Michelle shrieked for help at the water’s edge, and Ryker was already diving in fully clothed, swimming toward the couple.
Jessica dropped her forgotten hotdog, hurrying behind Jacob to where Michelle was standing.
“Oh my God, call 911!” someone shouted from behind her.
Chapter 3
Jacob sprinted toward the surf and dove into the warm Atlantic alongside Mason and Noah. Ryker was already on his way toward the swimmers in distress, and Jacob pushed himself harder, knowing it would be hard for Ryker to help two people at once.
He cut neatly through the waves, his body easily finding a rhythm as he surfaced. He wondered for a brief instant about Jessica. He’d left her on the beach without so much as a word of goodbye, but it was her friend in danger.
There was no time to think, no time for anything but action.
Seconds counted in instances like this, and there was no telling how long they could stay afloat or exactly how long they’d been out there.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mason and Noah swimming beside him, easily keeping his pace. Hunter had run down to the water with them but s
tayed with the women, no doubt calling 911 as well. The Virginia Beach Police Department had inflatable rafts to get out in the ocean quickly for rescues, and the Coast Guard could be quickly dispatched as well.
Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that unless they somehow got swept further out to sea.
There were riptides in the area that swimmers had to be careful of. They’d either not known about them or not been paying attention.
He kicked harder, wishing he was in his SEAL gear—a wetsuit and flippers were a hell of a lot easier to swim in than shorts and a tee shirt. He hadn’t had time to think or strip down to his boxer briefs though—he’d just immediately dove into the water.
“Looks like Ryker’s almost there!” Noah shouted.
Jacob grunted in affirmation.
Sirens sounded faintly in the distance, and Jacob glanced back toward shore, seeing Jessica and Michelle standing there with the others. The bonfire blazed on the beach, and with the sun sinking lower, it looked almost serene.
Almost. Except for the fact that there were two swimmers struggling in the ocean and rescue crews on the way.
“Stop struggling, I’ve got you!” Ryker’s deep voice commanded when they were only a few yards away from him.
The man Jessica’s friend was with grabbed onto Ryker, nearly pushing him under. Ryker cursed and subdued him, wrapping his arm around the man’s chest and pinning his arms as he treaded water. Amazingly, Jessica’s friend was the calm one, looking exhausted but managing to keep her head afloat.
“I got you,” Jacob said, pulling her against him. “You’re safe now.”
She sputtered, struggling to speak.
“Shhh, we’ll get you back,” he assured her. “Just relax and hold onto me.”
Noah appeared at his side, with Mason swimming over to help Ryker with the panicked man.
“Easy now, sweetheart,” Noah said in a low voice. “Your friends are waiting on shore, so let’s get you back.”
She let Jacob wrap his arm around her waist, and then he was towing her along with him as they made their way back to the beach.
Summer with a SEAL (Alpha SEALs Book 13) Page 2
