Rescued by the SEAL

by Davenport, Fiona

  Rescued by the SEAL

  Fiona Davenport

  Copyright © 2021 by Fiona Davenport

  Cover designed by Elle Christensen

  Edited by Editing4Indies

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Rescued by the SEAL

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Rescued by the SEAL

  Huntley Reed was convinced that military relationships were doomed to fail. He’d seen too many marriages go down in flames to think he could make one work. But he didn’t feel as though he was missing out until he met Cora Davis.

  Huntley tried to stay away from the gorgeous bank teller, but he could only stay away for so long. When Cora was taken hostage during a bank robbery, he had an epiphany—living without her wasn’t an option. The hunky Navy SEAL was going to rescue his woman and make her his.

  Prologue

  Huntley

  I pulled my motorcycle into one of the narrow spots in front of the bank and kicked the stand down before killing the engine. After removing my helmet, I glanced at my watch to make sure I had the time right. It was a little after two, which meant Cora had been at work for a few hours. Arriving at the same time she did seemed a little too obvious.

  I told myself to leave, to man up and stop pining for what I couldn't have like a pussy. But I continued to sit there on my bike until the irrational side of me—the one that needed a hit—won out. I quickly dismounted from my bike and pocketed my keys before striding over to the glass doors.

  When I entered the bank, a blast of cold air hit me, but it did little to cool the burn building inside me.

  Cora Davis—the star of all my dirty fantasies since she moved to town a year ago—stood behind a counter, smiling at the customer in front of her. I suppressed an irritated growl. It was completely insane, but I didn’t like when she smiled at other people. I wanted every one of them all to myself.

  She pushed her long, straight copper hair over her shoulder, and her amazingly unique eyes—one green, one blue—sparkled. I could’ve dropped onto a chair and stared at her all day even though I already had her heart-shaped face, cute little button nose, and deep dimples memorized. Not to mention all the other features of her curvy body.

  From my vantage point, I could only see her slender shoulders, her full, round tits, and a small amount of her torso. But behind the desk was a small waist that flared out into curvy hips, thick thighs, and legs that went on for miles. Cora had the body of a pinup girl from the 1950s.

  “Huntley.”

  A male voice startled me from my intense focus on Cora. Fuck. Nobody ever snuck up on me. I was always aware of my surroundings, but this girl...this was what she did to me. Which was one of the many reasons I had to stay away from her.

  I glanced to my left to see a big, muscular man dressed in black and sporting his permanent scowl. There was a hint of surprise in his eyes that only someone who knew him well would have noticed. If he’d been a normal person, his face would have been full of shock at my carelessness.

  “Cash,” I greeted him with a handshake.

  When Cash and I were in the Naval Academy together, we discovered we lived in the same town. But it was a big place, and we resided on opposite sides, so we’d never run into each other. We’d both gone into Navy Special Ops and ended up serving as operational SEALs on the same team.

  “I‘ve seen you here quite a few times lately,” he commented. Though his expression didn’t change, his tone was curious.

  This branch happened to be way out of my way, so his question wasn’t without merit. However, I had no intention of admitting to the real reason I’d driven twenty minutes to a bank that had a location five minutes from my house.

  “Visiting a friend,” I answered cagily. It’s not a lie. I considered Cora a friend—granted our “friendship” consisted of flirting at the bank, a few hellos in passing when I needed a fix, and “accidentally” bumping into her somewhere.

  Cash’s gaze drifted toward Cora, and my instinct was to threaten him to keep his eyes to himself, except he showed no interest beyond curiosity. So I managed to quell the urge and beat back the green monster that had spawned inside me the day I met Cora.

  He didn’t say anything about her when he looked back at me, and I mentally thanked him for being an incredibly private guy. Because it meant he didn’t pry.

  “Poker is scheduled for Tuesday,” he said, changing the subject.

  “Hooyah,” I responded, my mind already wandering back to Cora.

  He echoed the Navy expression, then lifted his chin in farewell before exiting the building.

  Cora’s line was dwindling as the last of the lunch crowd headed back to work.

  The other teller said something to my g—to Cora—and then closed her window and went into the back. This was another reason I’d come in the late afternoon. The tellers rotated through their breaks after the midday rush.

  My feet had a mind of their own, and they walked me over to stand behind the other customers. Since she was alone, I didn’t have to worry about making it to the front and being forced to go to another window. And demanding to see Cora would shed some light on my obsession with her, and that simply couldn’t happen.

  These visits were all I allowed myself. A chance to be near her without the danger of losing control and either taking her to the floor or just grabbing her and making a run for it. And they made my fantasies so much more realistic when I had a fresh picture of her in my mind.

  I kept telling myself that one of these days I’d snap out of it and she would no longer tempt me. But I knew it wasn’t true, and after a year of growing attraction and need, I couldn’t deny it even to myself.

  My cell buzzed, and I glanced at it only to be reminded of why I could never be with her.

  I was dedicated to my job and being a SEAL made up a lot of who I was. Like an extension of a limb, so cutting it off meant losing a part of myself.

  I’d seen too many of my brothers’ relationships fall apart due to the nature of our deployments, unable to tell their spouses when they would happen, where, or even how long we’d be gone. But one thing was always clear—we were putting our lives in danger.

  Putting my sister through these things was hard enough. If I started a relationship with Cora and it turned out she couldn’t handle my life, it would destroy me.

  Besides all that, I’d learned my lesson from what my sister had gone through a few years ago when my team had been betrayed by someone on the inside. She’d been forced to go into hiding with the Silver Saints MC, who’d taken her in thanks to me calling in a favor with an old friend.

  Eventually, we’d taken the traitor down, but not before Harlowe was almost killed. Granted, it had worked out in the end because she’d met her husband and made me an uncle. I couldn’t imagine that kind of luck would strike twice. And if something happened to Cora because of me...I honestly had no concept of what would happen other than to know my reaction would be nuclear.

  So this was all we could have. At least until some motherfucker stepped in to do what I couldn’t, and I was forced to leave before I killed him. It crossed my mind to threaten away every m
ale who looked at her twice. Would it be so bad for her to live her life single?

  “Hey, Huntley.” Cora’s sweet voice broke through my thoughts and lit my soul with happiness. She beamed at me, and her dimples dug into her cheeks as they bloomed with pink. Her breathing increased a small amount, but it was enough to make her breasts jiggle enticingly.

  Fuck, she’s gorgeous, I groaned in my head. I commanded my dick to lay low, but he ignored me and attempted to rise and salute the woman of my dreams.

  “Hi, gingersnap.”

  Cora giggled like she always did when I used the nickname, and the sound sent a pang in my heart and even more swelling in my leather pants.

  This had to be the last time I saw her. I was leaving for a deployment soon, and I was determined to use that time to get control of myself and walk away from her. Just as I’d vowed every time I’d been on an operation since I met my ginger beauty.

  1

  Cora

  It had been four long months since Huntley Reed had last come into the bank branch where I worked as a teller, and I’d been starting to wonder if I was ever going to see the handsome Naval officer again. The first time he’d come through my line to deposit a check, I’d stammered out my usual professional greeting because I was struggling with my body’s completely inappropriate reaction to him. My throat had gone dry as my gaze trailed up his tall body, taking in how the soft material of his shirt was stretched taut over his muscular chest, shoulders, and biceps. My fingers had itched to touch his short blond hair, and the knowing gleam in his hazel eyes had made my cheeks flame with embarrassment.

  Over the past sixteen months, I’d gotten better at handling my attraction to Huntley. I’d even managed some flirtatious banter that I’d been hoping would lead to him asking me out on a date. Even though he flirted back, he’d never taken us past casual conversation. But then he’d up and disappeared—probably because he’d been deployed—and I’d started to wonder if the attraction had been completely one-sided. Maybe I’d read more into our conversations than what had really been going on. If he’d been able to walk away from me so easily without saying goodbye, then he couldn’t possibly have been drawn to me as much as I was to him.

  It took almost all this time, but finally I’d convinced myself that I’d gotten over my feelings for him. But as soon as I spotted him through the glass windows that lined the front of the building, I realized how wrong I’d been. It turned out that the old adage was true—absence made the heart grow fonder. The attraction had only deepened during Huntley’s absence, and I found myself feeling even more tongue-tied than I had during our first meeting as he walked to the end of my line. My heart raced in my chest as I stammered my way through transactions for the three customers in front of him.

  When it was his turn and there was only the teller line counter between us, my awareness of everyone else faded away until I felt as though it was just the two of us in the building. In a desperate attempt to keep things professional so I could protect my heart from this sexy man, I murmured, “Good morning, Mr. Reed. How can I help you today?”

  Huntley’s head tilted to the side, and his hazel eyes drifted over my face before his gaze met mine. “I think we’re past using last names, no matter how long it’s been since we’ve last seen each other. Don’t you, Cora?”

  No way could I keep my reaction to him in check. Not when just looking at his mouth while he said my name in his deep voice almost gave me a mini-orgasm. My voice was breathy as I replied, “Yes, I guess we are.”

  His lips curved at the edges, and his smug little grin sent a shiver down my spine. “C’mon, now. Are you really going to leave me hanging like this?”

  I knew what he was hinting at, but I wasn’t going to admit it. Not when he’d been gone for so long. I liked feeling as though he was the one who was second-guessing my interest in him for a change, even if I was fooling myself because my blush totally gave me away. Widening my eyes, I pasted an innocent expression on my face and asked, “I’m not sure what you mean?”

  “Nice try, gingersnap. But we both know that you get exactly what I’m saying.” I felt a surge of triumph at the gleam of masculine approval in his hazel eyes, but that was nothing compared to having him use his nickname for me again. I’d been called so many horrible things growing up with red hair, but Huntley’s pet name more than made up for those experiences. I never thought the day would come when I’d laugh over anything having to do with my hair color, but I couldn’t help giggling each time Huntley called me gingersnap. “It’s been too long since I’ve heard you say my name.”

  I leaned forward and whispered, “You’re the one who stayed away, Huntley.”

  “Not by choice, Cora.” His eyes darkened to a brown hue as he gripped the edge of the counter separating us. His hold on the walnut surface was so hard that his knuckles turned white. “Trust me, I’ve tried to stop myself from driving clear across town to come to this branch. But I’ve failed over and over again.”

  I was torn over how to feel about his confession. A part of me was thrilled he kept finding himself drawn to me, but I was also crushed to hear he’d been trying to resist the attraction between us. That was the side that won out as I straightened my spine and replied, “Seems to me like you did a bang-up job of it for the past four months.”

  “I’ve only been back in town for forty-eight hours, and most of that time has been spent debriefing from my last mission.” He reached out and wrapped his fingers around my wrist, and my pulse skittered wildly as his thumb brushed over my skin. “Coming here to see you was the first thing I did after grabbing a shower, eating some decent food, and passing the fuck out because I was so damn tired.”

  Whoa. That was one heck of a confession. All my doubts about misreading our interactions disappeared, replaced by a certainty that Huntley was just as attracted to me as I was to him. I was overwhelmed by a sense of relief and had to swallow down a lump in my throat before I could say, “I don’t understand. If you want to see me so badly, why have you been trying to stay away?”

  “Because I’m no good for you, gingersnap.”

  I would’ve thought he was just making up an excuse for not acting on the chemistry between us, except the words sounded as though they had been pulled from the depths of his soul. “Shouldn’t I be the one who gets to decide if I’m better off without you or not, Huntley?”

  For a moment, I thought he was going to agree with me, but then a muscle jumped in his jaw as he seemed to shake off the impulse. “Not when you’re the one who’d get hurt if you were wrong.”

  “Fine, if you don’t want to give me a chance, then I guess there’s nothing I can do about it.” I shook off his hold and snatched the check and deposit slip out of his other hand. Keeping my gaze on the computer screen in front of me, I focused on my breathing while I pulled up his account and went through the steps to process his transaction. It didn’t take me long, but I’d managed to pull myself mostly together by the time I was done. I didn’t look at him as I slid his receipt across the counter.

  “Cora,” he sighed, crumpling the paper in his fist.

  My head jerked up before he could say anything else. “If you’re not going to ask me on a date, then there’s nothing personal left for us to say. Have a nice day and thank you for your business.”

  “Fuck,” he groaned as he shoved the receipt into his pocket.

  “Nope, sorry, There will be no effing between us because we’re never going out. I guess I’ll just have to finally take someone else up on their offer instead of waiting around for you.” I wasn’t being entirely honest with him. Although I usually got asked out at least once a week by a male customer, I’d never been even the tiniest bit tempted to accept any of those offers. Unfortunately for me, the only guy I was interested in was Huntley, and he seemed determined to ignore whatever was happening between us. It wasn’t nice of me to lie to him like that, but I was hurt by his rejection and lashing out in my pain.

  “No fucking way,”
he gritted out, reaching out to grip my chin.

  I had a hunch my verbal jab pushed him over the edge, but I didn’t get the chance to see how he would respond. My eyes went wide when I glanced over his shoulder to avoid his gaze and saw several guys in ski masks. I didn’t have any time to react before the one closest to us aimed his gun toward the ceiling, fired off a shot, and yelled, “Everyone, get down!”

  2

  Huntley

  Shit!

  Cora gasped, and I grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze and nodding, silently telling her everything would be all right. She still looked terrified, but her eyes softened a tiny bit, looking back at me with trust. Before turning around, I zipped my jacket to keep them from spotting the Glock in my shoulder holster.

  I dragged my gaze away from Cora, and as soon as she was out of my line of sight, my brain finally kicked into gear. I shoved away the rage and jealousy that coursed through me when she mentioned dating another man. I’d figure that shit out later. I needed to focus on what was going on since I’d been too distracted to notice what had been about to happen in the first place.

  My eyes scanned the room, cataloging every detail. Four robbers dressed in black and wearing ski masks: all men from the looks of their build. I memorized their height, weight, and any other distinguishing features I could see.

  Between the four of them, they were packing four M4A1 automatic rifles and four openly visible Desert Eagle handguns. I clocked two more handguns, both shoved into the back of two of the robbers’ pants.