Protecting Alabama (SEAL of Protection Book 2)

by Susan Stoker

  But now, looking at it through Christopher’s eyes Alabama was embarrassed. It was old. It was beat up, and it was obvious. She headed back toward him looking at the floor hoping she’d make it through the morning and whatever humiliation was in store.

  Abe took Alabama by the elbow when she got close to him. “I like your place, Alabama.” He was surprised when she snorted in response. He smiled. God that was cute. “No seriously, you’ve done a great job at making this place comfortable. Oh I know, it isn’t fancy, but it’s you. It’s cozy and lived in. I’d much prefer that to living in a place that was hard and stilted and way too fancy. You’ve done a good job.”

  Alabama looked up at him. Was he serious? She saw the small grin on his face as he looked down at her. Whoa. He was serious. “Thanks,” she said softly returning his smile with a tentative one of her own.

  Satisfied that she’d taken his compliment gracefully, Abe steered her out the door and held out his hand. “Keys.” He chuckled at Alabama’s look of confusion. “Give me your keys, sweetheart. I’ll lock your door for you.”

  Alabama looked down at the keys she was holding tightly in her hands. Why did he want to lock her door? She could do it. She didn’t say anything though, and dropped her key ring into his outstretched hand and watched as he put the key in the lock and turned it. When he put her keys into his pocket after he was done, she couldn’t keep quiet.

  “Give them back,” she said as sternly as she could, not looking into his eyes and trying not to panic.

  Abe had put her keys in his pocket without even thinking about it. He’d naturally kept them, planning on being around to open her door for her when he brought her home again. At her tone of voice he took a second look. Alabama was panicking. It was obvious, especially to him, as he’d been trained to read body language. He immediately put his hand in his pocket to retrieve her keychain.

  “Don’t panic, sweet, here they are. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t even think about it. I wasn’t trying to keep you from your home.”

  Alabama breathed in a sigh of relief and closed her fingers around her keys again. He was right, she had been panicking. She’d once stayed at a foster home where the parents didn’t give the foster kids keys to the house. She’d had to sit on the stoop all the time waiting for them to get home and unlock the door. She felt like a stranger in her own home. One evening she’d been locked out all night because they’d gone on an overnight trip and hadn’t told her they were leaving. She didn’t like to ever be without a way to get into her house ever since. She nodded at him in embarrassment and thanks, and dropped her keys into her purse.

  Abe walked them to his car, an ordinary four door sedan. For some reason Alabama thought he might have owned something a bit more flashy.

  He must have read her confusion because he told her without a bit of embarrassment, “I know it’s not anything fancy, but I prefer reliable over flash.”

  When they got to the passenger side of the car Abe opened it and waited until she sat down. Then he grabbed the seatbelt and handed it to her.

  Alabama took the belt without a word and watched as Christopher walked around the front of the car. She continued watching him as he sat in the driver’s seat and got comfortable.

  When he looked over at her and saw she was looking at him he smiled a small smile and asked, “What?”

  Alabama just smiled shyly at him and shook her head. She couldn’t put into words what she was feeling, even if she wasn’t reticent to talk.

  Abe didn’t push the issue; he just started the car and pulled away from the apartment complex. They didn’t talk during the ride, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. Alabama felt safe with him. He was a good driver. He wasn’t reckless, he wasn’t driving the speed limit, but he also wasn’t being a speed demon.

  They pulled up to the local coffee shop. It was a cute little building and the shop was called simply Coffee and More. Alabama had stopped in a few times in the past and enjoyed the little snacks and the flavored coffees they offered.

  Abe parked the car and turned to Alabama. “Stay put, I’ll come around and open your door for you.” He waited until Alabama nodded before getting out and walking around to her side. He opened her door and held her elbow as she climbed out of the passenger seat.

  On their way to the front door, Alabama felt Christopher’s hand on the small of her back. He wasn’t groping her, just confidently leading her where he wanted her to go, without being in front of her. It felt good. It’d been so long since she’d been touched. She led a solitary existence and hadn’t ever been touched affectionately. She hadn’t missed it until right this moment with Christopher’s hand warming her back.

  Abe opened the door and followed Alabama into the small shop. The décor was just as cute as the outside of the shop.

  One side of the room had the counter and the kitchen area. The rest of the room was filled with seats. There were a few loveseats with big fluffy pillows. There were also some tables scattered around the room. Some were square and others were circular shaped. There was even a long table against the wall that had electrical outlets along the back side, for those that wanted to sit and use their computer while they enjoyed their coffee. The floor had two big circular rugs in bright colors. It brightened up the room and made it seem more homey.

  The pictures on the wall were obviously done by children. They were framed and matted as if they were done by a master painter. Alabama had heard the owner held a contest every year and whichever child won got to see their picture up on her wall. The place was comfortable. The music wasn’t playing loudly. It was a place people could relax in. She’d always loved the coffee shop and was happy Christopher picked it.

  She still wasn’t sure why he’d chosen to bring her here, but for now she was going with it.

  “What can I get for you, sweet?” he asked leading her up to the counter.

  “Vanilla latte, please.”

  “No problem. Do you want anything to snack on?” At the shake of her head he told her, “Okay, I’ll take care of this. Go ahead and choose a place you want to sit, I’ll be there in a sec.”

  Alabama hesitated for just a moment. She felt as if she should offer to pay or something, but she knew he’d probably be offended. She mentally shrugged. It was only a coffee after all.

  She headed over to a small circular table that was near the wall on the other side of the restaurant and sat facing the room. Alabama watched as Christopher strode over to the table not too much later. He had two coffees and a small bag.

  When he got to the table, Alabama expected him to take a seat and get right down to business telling her what he wanted her to know.

  Abe put the drinks on the table and set the bag of muffins down as well. When he didn’t sit down Alabama looked up at him. Abe looked uncomfortable. He ran his hand over the back of his neck. Finally he said, “Sweet, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable here, but I can’t sit with my back to the room.”

  Alabama didn’t understand. She gave him a quizzical look.

  “I’m a Navy SEAL. I’ve been trained to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I can’t sit with my back to the room. I need to sit where I can see what’s going on. Will you switch seats with me?”

  Alabama got it. Of course, he was in the military. She should’ve known. She’d taken the seat with her back to the wall, leaving the chair on the other side of the small table for him. She quickly stood up and mumbled, “Sorry,” as she went to scoot around Christopher to take the other chair.

  Abe blocked her maneuver and put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Don’t apologize, sweet, you didn’t know. We could both sit on that side if you wanted.” He didn’t give her a chance to agree or disagree, but put his hand at her waist and gently nudged her back from the table. He grabbed the chair she’d just vacated and pushed it over a foot. Then he leaned over and took hold of the other chair and pulled it to sit against the wall next to the first one.

  Then he again put his hand at her waist and steered her into the furthest chair. After she’d sat down, he settled himself in the chair next to her. It was a close fit. His knee brushed against hers and his arm touched hers as they sat. He reached over to the bag and brought out two muffins. He put one on a napkin in front of her and placed the bigger of the pastries on it. He pushed the vanilla latte over in front of her before getting his own food set.

  Then he turned to her and said, “So, tell me everything about yourself. I want to know it all.”

  Chapter Six

  Alabama looked at Christopher in shock. Tell him everything about her? No way in hell. He didn’t really want to know.

  At her look of disbelief, Abe chuckled. “Too fast? Okay, how about if I go first?”

  Alabama didn’t know what was going on. She thought he just wanted to thank her. Now he wanted to know everything about her? And he wanted to tell her about him? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it all.

  “You know my name is Christopher Powers. I have two sisters, both younger than me. I’m thirty four years old. I’m a Navy SEAL. My buddies call me Abe. I love my job because I love my country. I don’t like what I see while I’m doing my job sometimes though. I’ve never been married, never even come close. I’ve had one serious girlfriend in my life, when I was sixteen.” He paused and smiled then continued. “I’ve seen a lot in my life, and I’ve done a lot of macho things, but nothing impressed me more than you in the middle of that room burning down around us. You kept your head, saved a lot of lives, saved my life. Thank you.”

  Alabama didn’t know what to say. She looked away from him down at the table and the muffin she’d been shredding with her fingers while he talked.

  Abe reached out and put his finger beneath her chin and raised her head so she’d look him in the eyes once more. God, she was amazing. Most of the women he’d known in the past would have simpered and cooed and taken his words as an invitation to snuggle up to him and get closer to him. Not Alabama. His words made her uncomfortable and she tried to hide from him. The skin under his finger was warm and smooth. He wanted to cup her cheek in his hand, but knew that would be too much for her right now. Soon.

  “I didn’t say that to embarrass you, sweet. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate what you did for me. I’m a big bad SEAL, no one takes care of me. But when you did it, it felt great. So thank you.”

  Alabama just nodded. God. This was…she didn’t know what this was. Every time he called her “sweet”, she felt her heart lurch. She’d never had a man speak to her as if she was important, as if he didn’t want to be anywhere other than in her company. Goose bumps broke out over her arms. Christopher’s hand felt good on her skin. She wanted to lean into him, to feel his hand running over her hair, but she didn’t know him. She figured he was just grateful to her, he’d just said so after all.

  “I…you’re welcome.” She managed to squeak out.

  Abe let go of her chin and reached for her hand. He threaded his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand. “Okay, your turn. Tell me about yourself.”

  Alabama froze. She couldn’t. She wasn’t interesting at all. She looked around nervously out of habit. She’d always made sure growing up Mama wasn’t anywhere nearby when she needed to say something. Alabama hated that she still did it today, but she couldn’t break the habit. There were just too many times she’d been caught unaware by Mama to be able to stop herself. Seeing no one that resembled Mama, Alabama cautiously turned back to Christopher.

  “I’m Alabama Smith. I’m thirty. I’ve lived here for several years. I don’t have any siblings or family. It’s just me.” She stopped. What else could she tell him? She didn’t have anything else. She didn’t have a good job. She was just…her.

  “Go on, sweet,” Abe encouraged. “Tell me more. I want to know everything.”

  “That’s it. There isn’t much to know about me.”

  “I highly doubt that. Alabama, you’re amazing. You’ve made a home out of a tiny little apartment that most people would scoff at. You saved the lives of dozens of people this week. You’re beautiful. I want to know everything about you. Your favorite color, your favorite food, what you like to read, where you went to school…everything. Maybe not today, but I’d like to see you again. I want to get to know you.”

  Alabama could only gape at him. What the hell did this gorgeous man want with her? Was he messing with her head? Like high school? She couldn’t stop the next words from coming out of her mouth.

  “Did you lose a bet?”

  Abe watched as Alabama blushed. She was so damn cute, but he didn’t like the implications of her question. He squeezed her hand again and ran his thumb over the back of her hand. He definitely didn’t like her lack of self-esteem and what might have happened in her life to make her that way.

  “No sweet. I’m here because I see you. I’m here because I like what I see. I want to get to know you better because no one has ever affected me the way you have. I’m not a boy who plays games, I’m a man. I’m a man who saw a woman who caught his interest, and wants to get to know her better.”

  “I don’t get it.” Alabama was frustrated she couldn’t put into words what she meant. She knew what she looked like. She wasn’t a troll, but she also didn’t look like Adelaide. She wasn’t fashionable, she wasn’t gorgeous, she wasn’t…she just wasn’t like the women she imagined he’d be with.

  Shifting so he sat sideways in his chair, Abe turned Alabama as well. He just reached out and shifted her chair with her sitting in it. He scooted his chair closer to her so she had no choice but to part her legs to give him room. Their position was intimate. He took hold of her other hand and they sat facing each other. Alabama could feel her breathing speed up and her heart race. Holy moly. He was intense, but intense in a good way.

  “Alabama, look at me. Does it look like I have a problem finding a woman?” He wasn’t being cocky; he just wanted to make a point to her. When she shook her head emphatically, he chuckled and then continued.

  “Exactly. I’m here because I want to be here. Women like Adelaide are nice to look at sure, but they aren’t nice inside. They want me because I’m a SEAL. They want me because I have muscles. They want me because they think I can give them something. I don’t think that’s the way you see me. Am I right?”

  Alabama slowly nodded her head. That definitely wasn’t the way she saw him. If she had any brains she’d choose a man who was nerdy and would fade into the woodwork, just like her. She had no idea why she had the instant attraction to Christopher, she only knew she did.

  “Adelaide isn’t a good person, Alabama. I knew it before last night and was going to break it off with her. She only invited me to that shindig because she wanted to show me off. But you, you saw me. Even when I was being an ass, you forgave me on the spot.” Abe switched topics abruptly, trying to get his point across to the shy woman sitting across from him.

  “I’ve saved hundreds of lives. I’ve gone into situations you’d only think about in your nightmares. The fire that night was nothing compared to what I’ve lived through. I saw the direction the other people you spoke with were crawling and was about to head that way myself when you appeared out of the smoke. No one, other than my mother when I was a baby, and my teammates, have ever had my back the way you did. You put your life at risk for me. Me. You think I didn’t notice that you came across the room to me instead of getting your ass out of there? I did. That’s why I want to get to know you. That’s why I think you’re so much better than women like Adelaide. You’re a good person inside and that’s what I saw that night. That’s who I want to get to know. You’ll let me right? You’ll let me take you out on a real date?”

  Alabama could only stare at the beautiful man in front of her. She still didn’t one hundred percent believe he was telling the truth. She was just Alabama. A broken woman who’d had a crappy childhood, but she couldn’t help but want to believe him. Want to have the fairytale.

  There was no denying Christopher was a beautiful man. He was tall. She’d prefer his hair be a bit longer, but couldn’t deny the short military cut looked good on him. He was muscular all over. He probably didn’t have an ounce of fat on him anywhere. Christopher was definitely fit and ready to go on whatever mission he and his team were called on. But besides all the outside trappings, she wanted to believe he was a good man. When he’d spoken about his sisters she could hear the pride in his voice. Alabama knew being on a SEAL team was one of the toughest jobs in the military. He put himself on the line every day for his country, and most of the time no one would ever know how dangerous his job was.

  “Thank you for your service to our country,” she blurted out before thinking. Alabama mentally slapped her forehead. God, she was such a dork. There he was asking if he could see her again and she’d gone and said that.

  Abe simply smiled and brought one of their clasped hands up to his mouth. He kissed the back of her hand and left his lips there for a moment while looking into her eyes. “Thank you sweet. Now…about that date…”

  “Yes.”

  The smile that broke out over his face was dazzling. “That wasn’t so hard now was it? We can exchange cell numbers and I’ll make the arrangements and call you.” At her immediate frown he asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t have a cell,” she admitted sheepishly. She couldn’t afford one. The hundred dollars a month that it cost was too much. Alabama was embarrassed. Everyone had a cell phone these days. Since she didn’t have a lot of friends she didn’t see the need. She had a land-line in her apartment, but hadn’t ever owned a cell phone.

  -->