SEAL's Embrace

by Makenna Jameison

  She glanced up at him shyly, nervously licking her lips. Even though they were walking along in the middle of the day, she had a feeling he’d kiss her. They’d had a nice lunch together, the weather was perfect outside, and this was the closest they’d really been in the past few days.

  Grayson stopped them as they reached a railing overlooking the water and turned Hailey to face him, backing her up against it. He rested his hands on the railing, effectively caging her in with his body as he looked down at her.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said gruffly, brushing a hand through her hair. She knew it was already windblown from the breeze coming in off the water, and she still had a scar on her forehead that she was a bit self-conscious about, but all that she noticed right now was the heat in his eyes.

  He’d shaved, so that he barely had a beard anymore—it was more just dark stubble covering his strong jaw. It was masculine and sexy as hell though, and with his large hand now palming her face and his muscular body in front of hers, she felt surrounded by him. He smelled faintly of the woodsy soap or aftershave that he used, and it was arousing to have him so close to her.

  “Thanks for lunch,” she said softly, suddenly feeling shy. She wanted to kiss him but was nervous all of a sudden. Was he expecting her to make the first move? She needn’t have worried though, because Grayson slowly ducked down, giving her time to move or push him away, and then his lips softly brushed over hers.

  He tasted of the Mexican food they’d eaten and beer, but she couldn’t get enough of him. His kiss was soft and gentle, and her hands rose to his sides, gripping his shirt as she kissed him back, wanting more. He moved in again, kissing her harder this time. The stubble of his jaw moved over her sensitive skin, and her lips parted at his urging. Grayson’s tongue swept into her mouth, and she clung to him, awareness pulsing through her entire body as he claimed her with his kiss.

  Her nipples pebbled beneath her top, and she felt arousal dampening her panties. Grayson’s kiss was hot—there was no doubt about it. It might’ve started out soft, but now he was taking complete control as she surrendered to him.

  Moments later, he pulled back, and they were both breathing hard. “Wow,” he said softly as he straightened. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw you.”

  She let her hands drop back to her side, already missing the connection between them. She’d felt Grayson’s arousal against her stomach as he’d kissed her, and she was happy to see he’d been just as affected as her by their kiss. “It might’ve been a little inappropriate to kiss me like that in the general’s office,” she joked.

  Grayson smirked. “Well, it would’ve let my teammates know that you were mine.”

  “I’m pretty sure they already realize that,” she said lightly. His eyes were wide with arousal as he looked at her, and he ducked down for one more quick kiss before pulling away.

  “Jesus. It’s going to be tough keeping my hands to myself after that,” he said.

  She grabbed onto his forearm as they turned to continue walking, loving the feel of his warm skin beneath her hands. He was all muscle, everywhere, and it was extremely appealing. She hadn’t dated a guy like him before, but she was insanely attracted to him. Hailey briefly imagined what it would feel like to have his body moving over hers in bed as they made love—she had no doubt he’d be an amazing lover if that kiss was any indication.

  Her hand slid down his forearm to his hand, and he twined their fingers together. His large fingers between hers made her wonder what they’d feel like trailing over the rest of her body. She was so aroused from that intense kiss, she’d hated to stop. She wanted more from him. Not that anything could happen outside in front of everyone though.

  She wouldn’t be opposed to snuggling up with him on the sofa when they got back and kissing some more, slowly exploring each other.

  “Let’s go pick up your things,” he said, his voice gravel.

  “Eager to get back home?” she teased.

  “Damn, woman,” he muttered. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

  She giggled beside him, and he looked down at her and grinned. “I like hearing you laugh, sweetheart. It scared the hell out of me when you were so sick the other day.”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him.

  “I know. I just don’t like when you’re not feeling well, and I can’t do anything about it.”

  “You took care of me,” she insisted. “And I never even thanked you really for that.”

  “It’s no trouble,” he assured her.

  They walked back to his pickup truck, neither of them seeming to be in any hurry. Grayson held her hand the entire way, and when they finally reached the passenger door, he pinned her up against it. She eagerly clutched onto the front of his shirt, feeling his muscled chest, and he ducked down and kissed her once, twice, before reluctantly backing away.

  “You’re entirely too tempting,” he said, his eyes warm as he looked down at her.

  “So are you,” she admitted.

  He took her hand and gently tugged her aside, opening the passenger door for her. “Are your ribs doing okay? I didn’t even think to ask with all the walking around we’ve been doing.”

  “They’re good,” she said. “It actually feels better moving around rather than sitting still all day. I won’t be lugging anything heavy around for a while, but walking feels fine.”

  “I’m glad. Maybe we can take a walk on the beach later tonight.”

  “I’d love that,” she said, grinning. “It’s nice looking at it from your balcony, but now that my fever and cold seem to be gone, I’d love to go for a walk on the beach with you.”

  “Awesome. We could’ve headed there today if we didn’t need to get so much done. This weekend the weather is supposed to be good though if you want to hit the beach.”

  “It’s a date,” she teased.

  “Not a date,” he countered.

  Hailey rolled her eyes but climbed inside his truck. “What does count as a date then?”

  He grinned. “When I pick you up at your place and take you out for the evening.”

  She buckled her seatbelt, smiling as he watched her movement, his gaze briefly landing on her chest. It was flattering as hell the way he watched her. Hailey knew he respected her, too, but she had to admit she didn’t exactly mind his gaze roaming over her. Grayson was handsome, and knowing that he found her attractive despite her injuries and recovering from an illness went a long way. He’d literally seen her at her worst and hadn’t been fazed at all.

  “All set?” he asked quietly as she looked up at him.

  “Yep.”

  He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips for a quick kiss. “Let’s get the rest of your errands done then, because I can’t wait to be alone with you later on.” He winked before shutting the passenger door, and her skin heated as he jogged around the front of his truck.

  “Now how am I supposed to think of anything else?” she mock complained as he climbed inside.

  “You’re not. But take pity on me, sweetheart. I’ve been as hard as a rock since that kiss.”

  She flushed as he started the engine.

  “Sorry,” she said, not sounding sorry in the slightest.

  Grayson chuckled, shaking his head as he backed out of the space. “You’re feistier than I expected,” he said. “But damn if I don’t like everything about you.”

  “The feeling is mutual,” she assured him.

  “Then let’s get to it,” he said. “The sooner we get everything done, the sooner I’ll have you all to myself.”

  Chapter 16

  GRAYSON TOOK HAILEY’S hand as they walked along the beach later that evening. Although she’d offered to make him a dinner of homemade lasagna, he’d insisted on waiting until she was fully better so she didn’t overexert herself. She’d playfully bantered with him but eventually agreed to make something simpler. Now they’d finished their meal, enjoyed some wine and beer together back at his apartment, and
were walking along the sandy shore.

  “I’ve never seen the Pacific Ocean before,” she admitted.

  “What?” he asked, stopping for a moment in surprise.

  “Well, I saw it from your balcony, but I grew up on the East Coast. I’ve been to the Bahamas and beaches up and down the East Coast, from Florida all the way up to Massachusetts. I’ve been to Europe a few times and of course Bagram for my work assignment. But I’ve never been out here.”

  “And you just decided to up and move to California?” he asked, quirking his brow.

  “I decided to ‘up and move’ to Bagram, too.”

  “Fair enough,” he said with a chuckle as they started walking again. “California is a hell of a lot better than Afghanistan. I like that you’re adventurous.”

  “Not compared to you,” she said. “I like to travel, but only with a carefully planned itinerary. And believe me, I researched a lot before accepting either position. I could never do what you guys do—just fly off somewhere and charge in to unknown situations and act like it’s no big deal.”

  “We train a lot,” he admitted. “And we don’t just fly off without a plan. Our team works extremely well together because we drill day in and day out doing exactly that. We do PT together, review information together, and conduct multiple drills for different scenarios. I know what each of the other guys is thinking when we’re on an op. They’re like my brothers. We’ve worked together so much, we can anticipate each other’s moves. It would be harder working with guys I’m not used to being around. All Special Forces teams are highly trained, but it makes a difference when you’ve forged a tight bond.”

  “That makes sense,” she said. “I could tell you were all close even back when we first met.”

  “We have to be,” he admitted. “And even with all that, we’re not alone. We’ve got officers stationed at the bases that we report to, and our CO is always in communication with us.”

  “There are still plenty of unknowns though.”

  “There are,” he agreed.

  The sun was beginning to sink over the Pacific, and they paused for a moment to look at it. The water lapped at their feet, and it was cooler than Hailey expected. Then again, it was already fall, and she’d read that the Atlantic Ocean was actually warmer than the Pacific.

  “Colder than you thought?” Grayson asked with a chuckle.

  “Yeah, I’m used to warmer water than this. Granted, I usually go to the beach in the middle of the summer, but this isn’t what I expected.”

  “I guess it depends what you’re used to,” he said. “I love it, and the waves are awesome out here for surfing. Maybe when your ribs are better, I can teach you some basics.”

  “Surfing basics? I like to swim but would probably be terrible at it. If you’re expecting me to be super athletic like you, you’re going to be sorry,” she said with a small laugh.

  “Hey,” Grayson said, stepping closer and putting his hand under her chin. He tilted her head up, looking at her seriously with his hazel eyes. “I don’t expect you to be anything. Surf, don’t surf, whatever.” He shrugged. “I’ve got my teammates to get my adrenaline fix with. Believe it or not, I like kicking back and just relaxing sometimes, too. And even though most of today wasn’t particularly exciting, I loved it because I was with you.”

  “I had fun, too,” she admitted.

  His eyes raked over her, and he flashed her a grin. “And trust me, sweetheart, you’re absolutely perfect like you are. We should probably head back to my apartment,” he said regretfully. “We’ve both got to get up for work tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I am starting to get a little tired.”

  “I can carry you back,” he teased.

  “I think you’ve carried me enough places,” she said softly. “It’s not every day you get rescued from a burning building.”

  “I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he said seriously.

  “I know you would.”

  The breeze blew in from the ocean, and Grayson ran his hand through her hair as they stood there. “I love the color of your hair,” he said, his eyes molten as he looked at her. “Actually, I love everything about you.”

  Her skin heated under his intense stare, but she tried to lighten the mood. “I hated my hair when I was growing up,” she admitted. “I wanted to be brunette or blonde like every other girl in my class. I kind of like it now that I’m older.”

  “Me too,” he said, smiling down at her. “So you’ll swim with me this weekend?” he asked.

  “I’ll go in the water. I’m not too sure about swimming yet with my ribs.”

  “Damn, you’re right. I’m just excited to hang out on the beach with you.” He shook his head, chuckling. “We’ll take it easy, I promise. I should’ve picked up more sunscreen when we were out today. I’m guessing you might burn easily with your fair skin.”

  “You’d be right,” she said honestly. “I do have some with me though, so no worries. I got a few necessities before I flew out here.”

  They began walking back toward his apartment, dodging a young child that was running toward the water. His parents chased after him, and Hailey laughed.

  “Do you want kids?” Grayson suddenly asked, looking over at her.

  “Someday. I’m an only child, so I want at least two.”

  “Same here. Only child, and I want at least two kids so they have a sibling to play with.”

  “God, that was the worst, wasn’t it?” Hailey asked. “I remember being bored out of my mind sometimes, wanting a brother or sister. I read a lot as a kid and luckily had plenty of friends in the neighborhood. It wasn’t the same though.”

  “I know exactly what you mean.”

  Grayson’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, holding it up to his ear. “What’s up, Raptor?” he asked.

  Hailey smiled as he took her hand, and they kept walking. She couldn’t get over how he and his teammates used their nicknames when they talked. She could never bring herself to call Grayson “Ghost.” She knew his friends did, but she couldn’t think of him as anything other than Grayson.

  She didn’t catch much from his end of the conversation, but he seemed tense when he got off the short call.

  “Everything okay?” she asked, squeezing his hand.

  “Yeah. We might get sent out in another week or so. I generally don’t know my schedule ahead of time, and it didn’t matter that much to me in the past. But now that I’ve got you here, I don’t like the idea of up and leaving at the spur of the moment. Raptor doesn’t either since he has Clarissa. We don’t always get advance notice of course, but he wanted to give me a head’s up.”

  “Like what happened last week,” she said, remembering his text.

  “Yep. It was sudden, and I have to admit, I hated not being able to talk to you before I left.”

  They climbed the stairs to his apartment, Grayson’s gaze sweeping the area around them. It was well-lit and seemed pretty safe, but Hailey liked how alert he always was. She was usually fairly cautious but had to admit she let her guard down some when he was around.

  “You texted me,” she reminded him. “It’s not like I had no idea you were gone.”

  “I know,” he murmured softly, unlocking the door and gesturing for her to go inside. The evening sunlight was streaming in through his balcony doors, and she smiled, already feeling at home here. It would be weird moving into her own apartment when this was over. She’d miss him, which was crazy. She’d only known him for mere weeks, and most of their relationship had been long distance. It’s not like she could just keep living here indefinitely.

  She heard Grayson lock the front door, and then his arms were wrapping around her from behind. She giggled, loving how touchy-feely he was. Some guys weren’t really like that, but she had to admit, she loved Grayson’s hands on her.

  “I like having you here,” he said huskily, ducking his head so that his lips were at her ear.

  “I like being here,” she admitted. She ki
cked off her sandals so she didn’t get sand everywhere and then shrieked as Grayson playfully scooped her up in his arms. “Grayson!” she squealed.

  “I was dying to get my hands on you during our entire walk,” he said, carrying her over to the sofa. He acted like she weighed nothing at all, and with his muscular arms holding her close, she felt safe and secure.

  He sat down on his sofa but kept her in his lap, and she eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck as he ducked down and kissed her. It started off softly but quickly intensified to something more. Grayson leaned her back against the pillows as she raked her hands down his solid chest. He was hard just about everywhere, and she loved how safe she always felt in his arms.

  “Are your ribs okay like this?” he asked, his voice gravel. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him.

  He nuzzled at her cheek for a moment and then kissed her again, deeper this time. His tongue sought entrance to her mouth, and then she opened to him, letting him take complete control of their kiss. One of Grayson’s hands drifted to her waist, his fingers just barely edging beneath the bottom of her shirt. His thumb skimmed back and forth across her sensitive skin, and she gasped at his touch, arching into him.

  Arousal dampened her panties, and briefly, she imagined those deft fingers trailing up her inner thighs and through her sensitive folds. He was so confident and self-assured; she was sure he’d have her seeing stars in no time. Hailey only had two serious boyfriends, and she was certain Grayson was far more experienced than her in bed. It didn’t frighten her though—if anything, she was more attracted to him than any of her exes because things had started so slowly between them. He’d saved her, yes, but they’d spent hours on the phone together. He’d taken care of her when she was sick.

  And now, being here in his arms on his sofa?