Hot SEAL, Alaskan Nights (SEALs in Paradise)

by Cynthia D'Alba

  Hot SEAL, Alaskan Nights

  SEALs in Paradise

  Cynthia D'Alba

  For Issam Makhoul, M.D. who saved my life after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Thank you.

  Acknowledgments

  A gigantic THANK YOU to Jennifer Bernard who answered each and every question about Homer, Alaska. And also for taking my husband and me to Two Sisters Bakery, which really is as good as I portrayed it to be in the book!

  Contents

  Foreword

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  About the Author

  SEALs in Paradise Excerpts

  Hot SEAL, Cold Beer

  Hot SEAL, Black Coffee

  Afterword

  Also by Cynthia D'Alba

  Dear Reader,

  I’ve been with my husband for more than thirty-seven years. For at least thirty-six years, he’s talked about going to Alaska. Over the years, plans were made and always fell through.

  Last year, Elle James invited my husband and me to join her and her husband on an Alaskan cruise. I jumped at the chance.

  My husband and I spent six weeks roaming around Alaska, from Homer to Seward to Anchorage to Denali. I’d always thought my trip to Alaska (if I ever went) would be a one and done. Boy, was wrong. It is difficult to fully explain how magnificent this state is to people who’ve never been.

  Many of the places noted in this book do exist. I may have taken some liberties with reservations at the Saltry.

  The statistic about the number of Alaskans with pilot’s license was accurate at the time of writing this book.

  Writing this book has made me yen to go back for a few weeks, but my next trip may be in the dead of winter for the Northern Lights!

  I hope you enjoy your Alaskan visit.

  Cynthia D’Alba

  Hot SEAL, Alaskan Nights

  From NYT and USA Today Best Selling Author comes a beach read that isn’t the typical sun-drenched location. Homer, Alaska. A Navy SEAL on leave. A nurse practitioner in seclusion. A jealous ex-lover looking for redemption…or is it revenge?

  Navy SEAL Levi Van der Hayden returns to his family home in Homer, AK for the three Rs…rest, relaxation and recovery. As the only SEAL injured during his team’s last mission, the last thing he wants to do is show his bullet wound to friends…it’s in his left gluteus maximus and he’s tired of being the butt of all the jokes (his own included.)

  After a violent confrontation with a controlling, narcissistic ex-lover, nurse practitioner Bailey Brown flees Texas for Alaska. A maternal grandmother still in residence provides the ideal sanctuary…still in the U.S. but far enough away to escape her ex’s reach.

  Attracted to the cute nurse from his welcome home beach party, Levi insists on showing her the real Alaska experience. When her safety is threatened, he must use all his SEAL skills to protect her and eliminate the risk, even if it means putting his own life on the line.

  Hot SEAL, Alaskan Nights

  Copyright © 2019 Cynthia D’Alba and Riante, Inc.

  Print ISBN: 978-1-946899-21-7

  Digital ISBN:978-1-946899-20-0

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author—except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web. For additional information or to obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author via email at cynthiadalba@gmail.com

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Cover Artist: Elle James

  Editor: Delilah Devlin

  Beta Readers: Allison Holzapfel, Eileen McCall, Lori Meehan, Millie Swank, Cathy Riodan, Susie Williams

  Chapter 1

  Levi Van der Hayden’s left butt cheek was on fire. He shifted uncomfortably in the back seat of the sub-compact car masquerading as their Uber ride. The stitches in his left thigh reminded him that using that leg to lift his hips was mistake.

  “We should try to get your seat upgraded when we get to the airport,” Compass murmured.

  Compass, also known as Levi’s best friend Rio North, was going way out of his way to help Levi get home on leave, but at this moment, Levi gritted his teeth at the ridiculous suggestion.

  “I don’t have the money for that, and you know it.” Levi, aka Dutch to his SEAL team buds, knew he shouldn’t be so grumpy what with all Compass was doing for him but damnit. Why did he have to get shot in the ass? The guys would never let him live it down.

  He repositioned his hips so most of the weight was on his uninjured right butt cheek.

  “You bring anything for the pain, Dutch?”

  “Took something about an hour ago, which right now seems like last week.”

  The sedan stopped at the departure terminal of San Diego International Airport. Dutch climbed from the back seat of the way-too-tiny car with a few choice cuss words and stood on the sidewalk bearing his weight on his cane. Compass tipped the driver, and then hefted out two duffle bags. After slinging both onto his shoulders, he gestured toward the airport with his chin.

  Once inside, Compass said, "Seriously Dutch, you need to upgrade. There is no way you’re going to be able to stretch out, and you know what the doctor said about pulling those stitches.”

  Levi glared at his friend and answered him with a one-finger response.

  Compass grinned back him. "All joking aside, I'll pay for your upgrade. Your ass literally needs to be in first class." The asshole then leaned back and glanced down at Levi’s ass...well, actually, the cheek where he'd been shot coming back from their last fucking mission.

  "No, damnit, Compass, I already told you I can't afford it, and I'm not accepting charity." Levi was well aware his friend could afford to upgrade Levi to a big, roomy, first-class seat, but he was already taking Compass out of his way with this trip. When his friend opened his mouth to speak, Levi held up a hand to stop him. "Not even from you. I appreciate it, man, I really do, but no." Levi shook his head emphatically. “I fucking hate being such a pain in your ass, har-har.”

  To say Levi had been the target of his SEAL team buddies’ relentless butt jokes would be an understatement. They’d been brutal in the way only people who love you can be. Levi knew that. Understood it. And would have been there throwing out the butt and ass jokes if it’d been anyone else who’d gotten shot in the ass, but it wasn’t anyone else. It was him, and he was tired of it. He lowered himself carefully onto a bench.

  Compass looked around, and then back to Levi. "Okay, look, I'm going to go talk to the agent over there. I'm not spending a dime, but sometimes they let active duty get upgrades. Let me see what I can do. Okay?"

  Levi followed Compass’s gaze to an attractive brunette behind the Delta service counter. He chuckled. "Damn man, you could pick up a woman anywhere, couldn't you?"

  Compass shrugged, but his grin said he knew exactly what Levi was talking about. "It'
s a God-given talent. But that's not what this is about. Give me your military ID."

  Levi pulled out his card, then hesitated. Compass had more money than God. Dropping a thousand or so dollars to change a plane ticket was probably pocket change to him, but not to Levi.

  Compass jerked Levi’s military card out his hand with a snort. "Shit. That damaged ass muscle has fucked up your reflexes."

  "Fuck you, man. It's the pain meds." Levi narrowed his eyes at his best friend. "Not a penny, Compass, not a fucking penny. Got it?"

  "Loud and clear." Compass pointed to him. "Stay here and look pathetic."

  Compass had only taken a few steps before Levi heard him laugh. Goddamn asshole.

  Jesus, he hated this. Not only was he in pain, but the damn doctors had restricted him from lifting anything over twenty pounds. Twenty pounds! Like he was some fucking girl or something. He was a Navy SEAL. He could lift twenty pounds with his toes…or could before just moving his toes made the exit wound on his thigh bite.

  Now that their last mission was behind them—he groaned at his own bad joke—the team had a little time off, which meant he could finally go home for a few days. However, the doctors’ restrictions meant someone had to help him with his duffle bag since it definitely weighed more than twenty pounds. He was pissed off and embarrassed by that limit to his activities. Hell, even jogging was off his activities list until the stitches healed a little more.

  He’d been ordered to do medical follow-up at the Alaskan VA Health Clinic as needed. Knowing his commander, Skipper would follow up on that, and if Levi didn’t follow orders, his ass would be grass. He groaned again and ordered himself to stop with the ass jokes.

  But driving from Homer to Anchorage just to get his stitches checked seemed stupid. If the family plane was available, maybe he’d fly up one time and get the doc there to sign off that he’d done as ordered. Otherwise, he had no intention of driving all that way.

  Turning his attention back to the action across the lobby, Levi tapped his cane on the toe of his boot as he watched Compass operate. He was too far away to hear the conversation, but he knew his friend’s M.O. well. He’d smile. He’d compliment the woman. Then he’d toss in his best friend’s war wound for sympathy. Levi snorted to himself. He’d seen Compass in action too many times to count.

  Compass leaned toward the Delta agent, and Levi was sure the poor woman had been sucked into Compass’s charismatic gravitational pull. She didn’t stand a chance against a pro like Compass.

  When Compass set both of their duffle bags on the scale and the airline agent tagged them, Levi was at least sure he was going home. What he didn’t know was if his seat would be in the front of the plane or the back, and frankly, he didn’t really care. As Navy SEALs, he and Compass were definitely used to less-than-first-class travel accommodations, and at this moment, he was more interested in getting home than where he sat on the plane. However, if getting Levi upgraded into plush, wide, first-class seats with unlimited booze and food made Compass happy, who was he to be a spoilsport?

  Compass turned from the check-in desk and started toward Levi with a broad smile Levi had seen before. It was the smile Compass wore when he got what he wanted.

  Levi eyed him. "Why do you have a shit-eating grin on your face? What did you do?"

  "I'm smiling because I'm a fucking magic man." He handed Levi a boarding pass.

  Levi studied the boarding pass with “first class” written in capital letters. “Did you buy this?” His lips tightened into a straight line. Even if his best friend could afford to pay for Levi’s upgrade, he wasn’t the kind of person who used people for what they could do for him.

  Compass help up his hands. “Nope. Not a penny spent. I swear on my mother’s grave.”

  "Your mother is alive, asshole."

  "Yeah, but we have a family plot and we all have real estate allotted. I swear I didn't spend a single dime on that ticket, man. That pretty little thing over there hooked you up." He motioned over to the attractive agent who was busy with another customer.

  "Sir, are you ready?"

  Levi’s gaze fell on an attendant pushing a wheelchair. “What the fuck?”

  Compass held out his hand to Levi. “Take it, dude. Let's get you up. I'm sure standing up is a royal pain in the ass." He snickered at his own joke while Levi shot him an ineffective death stare. How did Levi know it was ineffective? Because his best friend was still breathing.

  “Damn it, Compass. I’m not sitting in that.” He pointed to the chair with his middle finger.

  Compass gestured toward the non-functioning escalator. “So, you’re going to climb all those stairs? Even with that snazzy cane, that’ll be a pain in the butt.”

  His shoulders sagged. “Fuck me.” Apparently, his death stare had worked on the escalator.

  “Not in this lifetime. Come on, sweet cheeks. Don’t get butt hurt over it.”

  Compass leapt back just in time to avoid the arm punch Levi threw. “Those jokes are getting old.”

  His friend chuckled. “No, they really aren’t.”

  Levi jerked unnecessarily hard on Compass’s extended hand to pull himself to his feet. As Levi lowered himself into the wheelchair, Compass threw his head back with a laugh.

  “God, I really hate you,” Levi said and lifted his third finger, which just made his best friend laugh all the harder, which made Levi chuckle, too. If their situations were reversed, he’d be giving Compass the same degree of hell.

  “Naw. You love me, man.” Compass gestured to the attendant. “Lead on, man. Gate A-twenty-seven.

  Not that Levi would admit this, even under torture, but not having to walk the long distance to their departure gate had been a relief. His stitches were still tender, and each step was a dual jab at both the entry wound in his left butt cheek and the exit wound in his left thigh. How he’d been lucky enough that the bullet left a clean path through flesh without hitting bone he’d never know. But he thanked his lucky stars the only required treatment had been nothing worse than stitches.

  He and Compass settled into the last row of first class seats.

  “Why didn’t you get the first row?” Levi asked.

  “No legroom. Back here, I figured you could stretch out your legs.”

  “Thanks. I’m glad to see your lady-killer talent put to good use.”

  Levi had never been in first class before. The fake leather seat was certainly wider and softer than the economy seats, but compared to their SEAL flights, any seat would be better.

  Before take-off, Compass signaled the flight attendant over. He gestured toward Levi. “My friend was recently shot in the, um, war.”

  The woman’s green eyes lit with sympathy, which bugged the hell out of Levi. He didn’t want anyone’s pity, especially an attractive female. “I’m so sorry. The roster has you both listed as military. Thank you for your service.” Her gaze lingered on Compass.

  Levi wanted to point to himself and say, “Hey! I’m the guy with the war wound. Want to see?” but instead he sat back and let Compass cover his six.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Compass said with more humility than Levi had ever heard from him. He bit back the snicker that desperately wanted to escape. “I, er, we’re proud to serve.”

  “I’m stationed in San Diego,” she said with a bright smile. “Maybe we’ll run into each other sometime.”

  “Just my darn luck,” Compass said, his Georgia accent stronger than usual. “I’m out and headed home.”

  “Which is?” She fluttered her lashes at Compass.

  Levi snorted just loudly enough for Compass to hear.

  “All the way across the country. But my man, Levi, is still going to be based locally, right?”

  Levi groaned. He hated when Compass tried to hand off women his way. He didn’t need anybody’s help with women. He did just fine, thankyouverymuch.

  He cleared his throat. “Maybe. Haven’t decided if I’m hanging or checking out.”

  “Oh. Good. Ca
n I get either of you something to drink before we take off?”

  They both ordered and received black coffee from the flight attendant. It was probably five o’clock somewhere, but it was seven a.m. in San Diego, a little early for even a SEAL to grab a beer.

  “She’s cute,” Compass said. “Sure you don’t want to meet up with her?”

  “I don’t think I’m her type.”

  “Yeah? What do you think her type is?”

  “Money. She’s looking for her retirement plan.”

  Compass nodded. “I find that a lot.”

  The flight to Seattle was only three hours, but it was enough time to eat breakfast on the way. Being served an omelet, biscuit and fresh fruit, with stainless steel eating utensils, made him curious about Compass’s other life, the one outside the military, the one where money wasn’t an issue and first-class seats were mundane.

  Nonetheless, the food was a welcome addition to his empty stomach. But on second thought, after the MREs he’d been eating the last few months, just about any other food would be a treat.

  Minutes before landing, the flight attendant approached them. “Thank you for flying with Delta. Is there anything I can do for you before we land?” This time, her gaze flashed over to Levi. “Either of you?”

  “We’re good,” Compass said.

  After she walked away, Levi nudged Compass. “What if I wanted something?”

  His friend blinked. “Oh, sorry, man. Want me to get her back over here?”