Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3

by Alana Albertson

  But my mom wouldn’t let up with her nagging. “No real man wants to date a female warrior.”

  That may be true, but I didn’t care. Her statement was even more infuriating since she had always been so independent and was constantly saying that she didn’t need a man. Either way, it didn’t matter. I didn’t need to earn the title of Mrs.

  The only title I cared about was Naval Special Warfare Officer.

  Today I was taking my first step toward that journey.

  I walked along the shore of the stunning Coronado beach. After residing in woodsy Northern California my entire life, I was thrilled to be living so close to the ocean. My rental was only for a month, but with any luck, I’d be moving here after boot camp. And with hard work, I’d be stationed here, or in Virginia Beach, for the foreseeable future.

  I located the office at the Hotel Del Coronado and checked in. A stunningly gorgeous girl with long black hair framing her heart-shaped face greeted me.

  “Aria? I’m Isa. I’m happy to meet you. Oh my god . . . you’re so talented! I saw you win the Olympics and was blown away by your routine. I’m beyond thrilled to have you as the celebrity mermaid fitness instructor!”

  Isa handed me my bright green sparkly tail and a purple bikini top. Yup, the hotel was milking The Little Mermaid connection for all it was worth. My hand stroked the scaly and shiny material. It would take a while to get used to swimming with my legs bound in a tail, especially since I was known for my leg work.

  “Thank you. Nice to meet you too, Isa. I’m happy to be here. Are you a synchro swimmer also?”

  Isa shook her head. “No, I’m a former professional ballroom dancer. Normally, I teach barre and Pilates. But I’m a decent swimmer, so I thought teaching mermaid fitness would be a great way to switch up my routine, though my husband isn’t very happy with me working so close to the SEAL base. He’s a Marine . . . he’s not a fan of SEALs.”

  Husband? She looked to be around my age. I couldn’t even fathom being married.

  I smiled. “Oh really? Why?”

  “Hubby’s a war hero—jumped on a grenade. He hates to talk about his deployments—was asked to write a book but declined.” Isa bit her lip. “He’s very private and just doesn’t like that some SEALs brag about their missions.”

  I tilted my head to the side. I’d met plenty of disabled vets at the Paralympics. I’d always found their stories so inspiring, and their successes seemed to evoke more emotion in them than I had seen in the competitors in my own events. “I’d love to meet him. He sounds like a great guy.”

  “He is. I’m lucky.” Her face glowed when she talked about him—clearly, she was head over heels in love with the guy. I’d never been in love or even had a serious boyfriend. No time for romance since I had devoted my life to my sport. My personal life had consisted of drunken celebratory hookups after competitions. “Hey, we’re having a party next week if you want to come.”

  I pursed my lips. I wasn’t much of a party girl—I always felt so awkward with groups of people I didn’t know. But Isa seemed so nice, so I was willing to try to attempt to come out of my shell. “I’d love that. You’re the only person I know in San Diego.”

  “Oh. Well, I’m happy to show you around. Let’s start by giving you a tour of the resort.”

  The sight of the beautiful hotel wowed me. Like me, the Del was a redhead, and she was known as The Grand Lady of the Sea. Her glorious Victorian architecture was world famous. The crimson steeply pitched roof contrasted with the white wooden shingles. Set on the backdrop of one of the best beaches in the world, the Del was simply breathtaking.

  Isa led me down the steps to the pool which overlooked the beach bordering the Naval Special Warfare base. My eyes scanned the miles of sand, towering palm trees, brick beach paths, and the ocean break, hoping to glimpse some BUD/S recruits training, but I was out of luck. I made a silent wish to see some SEALs today. I figured if I spent some time studying their training regimen, it would give me an advantage. Instead, my view consisted of classy tourists with wide brimmed hats, dark sunglasses, and couture swimwear. I definitely didn’t fit in here.

  Isa caught my gaze, forcing me to focus. “So, mermaid fitness is taught every Friday and Saturday at eight a.m., but the guests arrive at seven thirty. Basically, it’s water aerobics and Pilates with tails and pool noodles. I used to teach Aqua Zumba, so it’s a bit like that, but we can’t use our legs obviously. Have you swum with a tail before?”

  “I did an exhibition years ago with a tail, and sometimes my coach would bind my legs to focus on my arm movements.”

  “Awesome. Let’s hop in, and I’ll go through the routine.” Isa flashed a smile and then changed out of her sweat clothes into a cute bikini, revealing her enviable swimsuit body—tan skin, huge breasts, wide hips, round booty, and a flat tummy. Sure, I was in shape, but my physique was more athletic and less bombshell. I was as pale as the San Francisco fog, had a flat chest, narrow hips, a muscular bottom, and a six-pack. As much as I had always tried to view my body as a tool to my craft and not as eye-candy, I couldn’t help but be jealous of her curves. I’d love to say that I didn’t care if men found me attractive or not, but that would be a lie. After years of being teased as the freckled-faced sporty redhead, I’d taken myself out of the dating game to focus on my career.

  I slipped off my own pants, kept my solid black one-piece swimsuit on, stepped into the tail and pulled it up over my waist. Then I dove deep into the pool. The tight fabric constricted my legs which felt odd, but I knew I’d adjust. I could hold my breath for up to three minutes, so I glided around underwater, doing butterfly kicks. Then I hoisted my torso above the water and did a bit of my Olympic routine, not to show off, but just because I missed performing.

  When I finished, Isa was clapping. “Wow, you are amazing! I could watch you all day. Maybe you could do a show at the end of class for our guests?”

  “I’d love that.” This would be the first summer of my life that I wouldn’t be training in the pool eight hours a day. The water was my home and being paid to be a mermaid was the perfect summer job.

  “Ok. We check in the guests at quarter ‘til eight. Then we issue them each a tail, a pool noodle and a towel. Once the guests put on their tails, they swim around the pool. This is much harder than it seems and the fins make big splashes, so everyone gets drenched.” She splashed her own tail, creating a huge wave.

  I splashed her back. “I can’t wait. It sounds so much fun.”

  “It is. Everyone loves it. We then stand in a line and do arm exercises before we get everyone out of the pool to do ab work. We keep the music blasting to distract the students from the hard work they are doing.”

  I laughed. “Good strategy.”

  She smiled. “Then we have free swim. Of course, most of the guests use this time to take selfies or post Instagram videos. I’m sure they will want to pose with you, too. So that’s about it. Do you have any questions?”

  Yes. Do you know what time the SEALs train on the beach? “No. But I’m sure some will come up tomorrow.”

  “Cool.” She squinted at the sun. “Just let me know. You will be great. Can you show me some synchro moves?”

  “Sure.”

  We took off our tails, and I showed her some underwater split techniques. When we came up for air, I saw two bearded, ripped men in the distance run toward us dressed in cammies and tight shirts. But they weren’t just any men . . . I could tell a mile away they were SEALs, storming up the beach. My wish had come true!

  Isa rolled her eyes. “Ignore them. They run by here every day since they train just down the beach. Occasionally they will come over at the end of class and make the guests swoon.”

  Swooning activated. My mouth became dry. I was minutes from seeing my first SEAL in the flesh, but I wasn’t another frog hog. I wanted to be just like them.

  A drop dead gorgeous man with jet black hair which skimmed his forehead, electric blue eyes, and arms decorated with tattoos beelined
straight towards us. His equally hot blond-haired buddy with a cocky grin stood beside him. The blonde looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him.

  I melted into the water.

  “Hey, Isa. Who’s your new friend?” Sexy dark-haired SEAL yelled out as he knelt next to the pool. His voice was deep and low and virile.

  “This is our newest instructor. Aria—”

  But before Isa could introduce me, the SEAL interrupted her, his eyes widening. “Clements. You’re Aria Clements—America’s Little Mermaid. The Olympic gold medalist. I’d recognize you anywhere.”

  He knew who I was? Most people didn’t recognize me, but between my red hair and the glimpse of the routine he probably saw, I could get how someone could put it together. “Yup. That’s me. What’s your name?”

  “Erik.”

  Erik? Did he say his name was Erik? Like The Little Mermaid’s prince? I couldn’t help but smile at the coincidence.

  Or maybe he was messing with me.

  “Nice to meet you, Erik.”

  “You’re incredible. My little sister is a huge fan.” Even though a stunningly beautiful Isa was right beside me, Erik’s eyes were locked completely on mine. “I am too, by the way. So, do you live here?”

  “No, just teaching here at the resort for a month.” Because I’d joined the Navy and was heading to Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island and then back here on a BUD/S contract. But I kept my plans to myself. The last person I wanted to confess my desire to become a SEAL to was an active duty Frogman. From everything I’d read, the Team guys were violently opposed to integrating the Teams.

  They could choke on their opinions. The defense secretary said that the Pentagon would open all combat jobs to women. Including SEALs. So these men didn’t have a choice.

  “Cool. Hey, I’m at work, but when I get off let me take you to dinner.”

  Wait what? Forward much? I’d never, and I meant never, been asked out on a date like that. Sure, I’d had a few internet proposals. But this guy had just met me.

  My face must’ve shown my shock.

  “I get off at six. I’ll pick you up where you are staying, or we can meet here. There’s this great place down the street.”

  Isa let out a laugh as she nudged me.

  I was speechless. Did this guy want me or was he just interested in meeting an Olympian? He probably would’ve acted the same if he met any champion, male or female. I mean he was a SEAL. One of their mottos was “it pays to be a winner.”

  I wanted to be a SEAL, not be fucked by one. Well, that could be fun too. But that wasn’t the point. My eyes raked him up and down, drinking in his big, muscular physique. Nope . . . not happening. There was no way I could go out with this super-hot man and risk being distracted from my dream. I vowed to watch these SEALs from afar for a month, go to Officer Candidate School, and then finish BUD/S. There was no room for romance in my world.

  “I’m not interested,” I said as convincingly as I could.

  Erik’s mouth curved into an amused grin. “I’m not going to give up that easily, sweetheart. I always go after what I want.”

  Great, I had just challenged a SEAL, a man who would never quit.

  “Well, good luck with that. As I said, I’m only in town for a month, so there’s no point to start something we can’t finish.”

  His eyes twinkled, and he licked his lips. Man, he was gorgeous. Maybe I had made a mistake. This could be a win-win. A hot summer romance with a sexy SEAL and I could glean some intel on the Teams. What could go wrong?

  “Who said I wouldn’t finish? I’m known to finish strong. I’ll stop by tomorrow. Nice to meet you, Aria.”

  And with that, sexy SEAL turned and ran down the beach. His friend slapped him on the back and seemed to be joking with him.

  “Oh my god . . . how cocky was that guy?” I muttered, turning my attention back to Isa. “Do you even know that dude?”

  “Yeah, he comes around all the time. He’s gorgeous, don’t you think?”

  “Uh yeah, girl. He’s probably the hottest man I’ve ever seen.”

  She laughed. “Welcome to San Diego. Anyway, Erik seems nicer than the rest of them. You should just go have fun.”

  Fun. I didn’t know the meaning of the word fun. My entire life consisted of setting goals and working hard to achieve them. But maybe Isa was right, and I should learn how to let my hair down.

  We climbed out of the pool and headed toward the locker room to shower. Afterward, Isa and I exchanged numbers, we parted ways, and I walked back home. I hadn’t even taught my first class, and I had already begun to lose focus. Erik was ridiculously sexy, but it didn’t matter. It would be unethical to use him to gain an advantage in training, though I needed any help I could get. Honestly, winning a gold medal seemed almost easy compared to becoming the first woman to graduate from BUD/S. But I refused to let anything—or anyone—distract me.

  Even if that distraction was an over six foot, fine as hell Navy SEAL.

  Erik

  I raced down the beach, glancing back and taking another look at Aria. She had emerged from the pool, and her wet swimsuit clung to her body, showing off her incredible ass. In the water, I had seen the outline of her hard nipples. I couldn’t believe that was really her. An Olympic gold medalist in my sights. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also smart and dedicated.

  And flexible as fuck. I remember watching her gold medal winning routine on television last summer with my sister. At first, I thought the entire sport was creepy—the women were done up with a ton of makeup and had way too shiny hair. But once the routine started, I was blown away. Her breath control was incredible, as they were underwater for most the routine. I remembered her perfect straddle split and another part where her leg went behind her ear. I wanted to spread her legs wide on my couch and bury myself in her pussy, eating her until she came all over my face.

  I couldn’t wait to fuck her.

  Devin hit me on the back. “Man, did you see the way that redhead opened her legs?”

  Great men thought alike. “No shit, dumbass. She’s Aria Clements.”

  Devin’s gaze clouded, his expression was distant. I never knew if he was just playing with me or if he was having a flashback to his glory days.

  “Who?”

  “The Olympic synchronized swimming gold medalist. America’s Little Mermaid. She’s on a Wheaties box.”

  He licked his lips. “I’d love to eat her box.”

  I punched his arm. “Fuck off, dude. I saw her first. Did you even watch the Olympics last summer?”

  “Not synchro. A bit of the swimming.”

  We ran back toward base. As we left the resort part of the beach and entered the restricted area, I was grateful that my place of work had multi-million-dollar views. BUD/S candidates lined the beach holding swift boats above their heads. Next year, I’d be one of the instructors. I couldn’t wait to torture the next generation of SEALs.

  “Well, I did. My sister is a huge fan. Aria is sexy as fuck.”

  Devin smirked. Nothing had changed from his rock star days—he was still a player. A different woman every night. Just as many chicks would drop to their knees to suck off a SEAL as they would to blow a rock star.

  But I wasn’t like him. I was picky. I wanted a woman who I could admire and respect. A woman who had goals and a life of her own. A champion, an overachiever.

  Someone like Aria.

  She intrigued me and was hot. Hell, she’d be a perfect partner for me in TritonFix, my side hustle.

  On my rare weekends off, I provided consulting to local entrepreneurs—teaching them effective project management skills and how to work with their employees by conducting team building activities. To some of my Teammates, it sounded boring, but honestly, I loved helping the civilian world apply military discipline to business practices. And I hoped that one day it would grow into a company that could support my family.

  Aria and I would make the perfect team—a SEAL and an
Olympian. Clients would be knocking down my door to work with us.

  In a few weeks, I was pitching a huge client. If I could promise him a session with Aria and me, I’d definitely close the deal.

  But first, I had to get her to go out with me.

  Devin and I hit the locker room and showered after our run. Today we had an intelligence briefing. And we’d soon deploy on an operation.

  But it would be my last mission for a while.

  No, I wasn’t leaving the Teams. Not until I retired or died. But after eight years of training, deploying, fighting overseas, I had one more mission, and then I’d be assigned three years of shore duty. Maybe I’d be around long enough to finally have a real relationship.

  I grabbed my phone and logged into the Del’s website. Mermaid fitness. Tomorrow at eight a.m.

  Perfect.

  Grinning, I picked up the phone to call my mom.

  She answered on the first ring. “Erik? What’s going on, honey? Are you leaving again?”

  My poor mom. Clearly, I didn’t call her enough. Every time she answered the phone, she assumed that I was going to tell her I was about to deploy.

  “No, Mom. I’ll be around for a bit. Was just wondering if Holly would join me in Coronado for a class tomorrow.”

  “Of course. She’d love to go anywhere with you. What kind of class?”

  “Mermaid fitness at the Del. Olympic Gold Medalist Aria Clements is teaching it.”

  My mom gasped. “Oh Erik, she’ll be thrilled! Wow . . . Aria Clements. I love her. Do you mind if I tag along?”

  Damn it. I was trying to hit on Aria. The last thing I needed was my mom cock blocking me. But I couldn’t say no to her. “No, of course not. Meet me at the Del at 7:30. Traffic’s pretty bad on the bridge at that time so be sure to leave early.”

  “I will. She’ll be so excited. See you tomorrow. Love you.”

  “Love you, Ma. Bye.”

  Ah, fuck. That didn’t go as planned at all. But it was my own damn fault for using my sister to get a date.

  I googled Aria and watched her Olympic medal winning performance. My cock hardened as my mind flashed to the millions of positions I could fuck her in. She was so graceful, so precise. She made the moves underwater seem so effortless.