by Zoe York
Contents
Title Page
The SEALs Undone Series
About This Book
Book List
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Excerpt from Love in a Small Town
About The Author
FALL DEEP
a SEALS UNDONE novella
by
Zoe York
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ABOUT THIS SERIES
— SEALS UNDONE —
The SEALs Undone series started with a single novella, Fall Out, which I wrote for the first SEALS OF SUMMER military romance superbundle in early 2014. That boxed set hit both the New York Times and USA Today bestselling list, and sold more than fifty thousand copies over the summer of 2014. When the SOS Ladies talked about doing a sequel boxed set, SEALS OF WINTER, it was a no-brainer—I couldn’t wait to get back to my Navy SEAL stories.
I named this series SEALs Undone because that’s exactly what happens. Big, tough Navy SEALs are undone by the women they fall hard for. These stories are light on conflict, big on romance, and short enough to read in a single night.
This particular story, Fall Deep, was written originally as a thank you to my newsletter subscribers. They got it, chapter by chapter, each week as I wrote it around my other projects. It’s since been lightly edited, but it is substantively the same.
I hope you enjoy!
~ Zoe
SEALS UNDONE
Fall Out
Fall Hard
Fall Away
Fall Deep
Fall Fast
Fall Dark (coming in the SEALs of Summer 2 boxed set, Summer 2015)
Fall Back (coming in the Romancing the Alpha boxed set, Summer 2015)
— FALL DEEP —
Navy SEAL Miles Dumbrowski is on his way back to war. He isn’t supposed to fall in love.
Piper Harrington left San Diego behind, looking for adventure in Europe. The no-strings, easy-breezy kind of adventure.
Now her heart is headed to the Middle East with a man she won’t see for months. But Miles seems intent on proving he's worth the wait for that second date.
The SEALs Undone Series
Fall Out
Fall Hard
Fall Away
Fall Deep
Fall Fast
Fall Dark (coming in the SEALs of Summer 2 boxed set, Summer 2015)
Fall Back (coming in the Romancing the Alpha boxed set, Summer 2015)
BOOKS BY
— ZOE YORK —
SEALS UNDONE
military romance
Fall Out
Fall Hard
Fall Away
Fall Deep
Fall Fast
Fall Dark
Fall Back
PINE HARBOUR SERIES
small town military romance
Love in a Small Town
Love in a Snow Storm
Love on a Spring Morning
THE WARDHAM SERIES
sexy small town romance
Between Then and Now
What Once Was Perfect
Where Their Hearts Collide
When They Weren’t Looking
Beyond Love and Hate
Perfect No Matter What
No Time Like Forever
Beneath These Bright Stars
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— ONE —
Three shifts into working at The Green Hedgehog, Piper Harrington had accepted this first leg of her European backpacking trip wasn’t going to be the easy working vacation she had planned. That was okay by her, it wasn’t work she was trying to get away from. As long as her well-meaning family stayed on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and she got to just be Piper for a while, she’d pull pints until her arms fell off.
“Don’t tell me that pubs in America don’t get a crush after work.” Kate White flashed a good-natured grin. Piper had lucked out two days earlier, walking past the pub just as Kate was plastering a poster in the window advertising for temporary help.
“Happy hour is more about half-priced potato skins than anything else. Don’t worry—I’m not complaining, I’m just happy to find a job for the next few weeks.” Piper took one last swipe at the bar with her towel and grabbed a seat next to Kate and her plate of french fries. A few patrons remained, obviously regulars, and more would join them as the evening progressed, so the break was much appreciated.
“Tell me more about San Diego. I’ve never been to America.”
Piper shrugged. What was there to tell? Her hometown was the best place in the world, but the last place she wanted to be. She couldn’t understand it herself, so explaining it to a brand-new boss seemed like a bad idea. And that wasn’t really the question Kate had asked, anyway. “It’s nice. Clean for a big city. Sun and surf, right?”
And over-achieving parents and siblings and pressure…
Needing a break from that drama was part of why she finally applied for a work visa. “I’ve lived there almost my entire life, so this trip is a big deal.” Okay, that didn’t sound neurotic. Good. She munched on a fry instead of saying anymore, best to quit while ahead.
Kate tilted her head, as if debating whether or not to ask more. Was it that obvious there was more to Piper’s adventure? “You’re not the first backpacker to come around looking for a bit work. But you don’t seem quite as carefree as most. And after an afternoon like this one, most would be looking for other work.”
“Carefree isn’t in my genetic code. My parents don’t care what we do with our lives, as long as we work hard.”
“But yet you’re backpacking across Europe.”
“I worked hard to plan and save for this trip. My parents are hoping I’ll find inspiration for a career.” Or at least stop “mooning over boys,” as her mother had said. That still stung. “I guess I am, too.”
She waited for Kate to probe further—not that she had any more answers she could share. Instead the pub owner turned to face the entrance as a Hedgehog regular entered. Piper recognized Sue, the slight woman with silver hair and bright blue eyes, but not the younger man she was tugging along. He was talking to her with obvious affection, head tilted to catch her response as she finished her thought and shrugged off her coat into his hands. Piper definitely hadn’t seen that guy before. He was…sexy.
Down, girl. Not on the agenda, remember?
But she couldn’t tear her eyes away. He was larger than life, gorgeous in a roughed-up, J. Crew-ad kind of way. He paused after hanging up Sue’s coat and pulled his cell phone out of his blazer pocket. Piper’s gaze measured him every which way, flickering over what looked like well-loved Doc Marten boots and dark jeans, up to his blond hair, cut short but somehow still mussed.
He was tall, broad across the shoulders, and his long torso looked lean and cut. Piper knew he would feel solid stretched out on top of her, and all her lady bits started tingling at the thought. Damn. She hadn’t flown across the ocean to fall back into that old routine.
“Piper?”
She jumped, realizing she was still standing in front of the bar.
“Yes. Pardon? I’m sorry.”
Kate took Piper by th
e shoulders and guided her around the bar. “Staring isn’t polite,” she whispered, then laughed as Piper pinked up.
“I wasn’t…oh God, I was. I’m sorry. I was just curious…”
“Is that what Yanks call it? Curiosity?”
“What?”
“We Brits call it lust.”
Piper turned beet red. She was busted. “Well, embarrassed is an international term, right? So can you go take their order while I crawl under the bar and die?”
— —
Miles Dumbrowski sipped his beer and listened with half an ear as his aunt chattered on about nothing with a few friends. This wasn’t his first time in The Green Hedgehog—he flew through the UK at least once a year while on leave from a tour of duty or on his way home from a mission. And, schedule permitting, he often popped down to Hastings to visit his mother’s only sister.
Tonight was his last night of leave. He’d be heading back to the sandbox in the morning for three more months of deployment before returning to Coronado Beach, his permanent home as a US Navy SEAL.
This was the first tour he hadn’t spent his leave time on an exotic island. His teammate Jared Sutter had flown to the UK to meet up with his pregnant wife, and Miles had thought England sounded like an excellent idea. After more than a few years of playing hard in his down time, Miles was no longer interested in a party scene. This time, he’d soaked up some culture, sat in more than a few pubs, and seen a few football games.
And mostly he’d just chilled the fuck out.
He glanced covertly at the bar again. The usual bartender seemed to be missing tonight, and in his place was the most captivating woman. Miles had been sneaking looks at her since arriving at the pub. There was a lot to appreciate. Dark hair spilled down her back in loose, hypnotic waves. Her eyes were seductive, but her easy smile was completely without guile and the rush of pink that flooded her cheeks every few minutes tended toward angelic more than anything else. She was probably a full foot shorter than him, with bouncy curves and a ton of energy. The perfect size, he realized, to crawl into his lap and watch a movie, to turn around and straddle him once they’d run out of popcorn. The perfect size to wrap his body around all night long and to make one of his t-shirts look illegal the next morning.
“Miles was in London for a meeting on Friday, and decided to stay the weekend before he headed home.” His aunt dragged him back from his fantasy with a pat on the arm. She was good about not telling people what he did for a living. A meeting. Ha.
“Shame you couldn’t stay longer,” Kate tossed out as she passed by their table. “We’re playing rugby next Sunday and the Whites would be happy to kick your arse again.”
Miles could hold his own on the field, but he let her rib him. “I’ll be back, don’t worry.”
Kate snorted and set her tray down at the next table before coming back to clear away their empty glasses, and as she did, she caught the fact that his gaze wasn’t really on her at all. She smirked. “Have you met Piper yet? She’s an American as well, just here for a few weeks. Great bartender.”
Piper. He decided to go grab his next drink himself.
— TWO —
He was looking right at her. She’d been watching him, too, and there was something about him…she couldn’t put her finger on it, but this was no ordinary guy. He looked like a Norse god and held himself with a certain awareness, like he might pounce out of his seat at any time.
As if he knew exactly what was on her mind, he shoved out of his chair and prowled toward the bar. Piper did the only logical thing and beetled to the far end where two regulars were arguing good-naturedly. “Would you like another?” Piper pointed to their empty glasses and flashed them a teasing smile when they paused their debate and looked at her. “At least you can agree on what to drink.”
“Tell him I’m right, Poppy.”
She laughed. “It’s Piper, and I’m sure you’re both right.”
“Impossible!”
“You’re both cranks and it’s no wonder you’re drinking with each other instead of pretty women.” She winked and handed over new drinks. She loved the back-and-forth banter of tending bar. It could be awkward if she missed, but she rarely did.
“We want to know, Poppy…are you in Hastings because you lost a bet? Surely London would be more interesting.”
“My parents honeymooned here, actually. My father was working in Germany at the time, and they only had a weekend to get away. They’ve always talked about it fondly. Plus the hostel rates are cheaper. Win-win. And this way I get to spend time with both of you.” Piper patted the bar in front of her, painfully aware the Norse god was waiting at the other end. She’d kept him waiting long enough—and when she thought about it like that, she felt silly.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to look unaffected as she moved toward him. Tried and failed, she was sure, as her stomach clenched and her heart leapt when she stopped in front of him. His eyes caught hers. Could he read her thoughts? Did he know she’d been ogling him?
“Need a refill?” she squeaked. Squeaked! Where the hell had that come from?
“Sure.” He pushed his glass forward and smiled. “I’m Miles, by the way.” His slow drawl rolled over her and she blushed again.
“You’re not British!” Piper stammered at the harsh bite of the words. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, obviously, or that it should even be surprising, what with jet planes and all. I mean, that’s how I got here too.” Shut up, Piper, and busy yourself with something other than drooling. “I’m sorry.”
His laugh was slow and warm, washing over her like a reassuring hug. He reached past his empty glass and grazed her clenched fists with the tips of his fingers. “Kate says you’re an American, too.”
Piper felt a current of electricity bolt up her arm, and she licked her lips. “Um.” This wasn’t a hard question. “Something like that.” Something like that? “Yes. I mean, yes, I am. And tired! Obviously. I’m Piper.” Her brain had turned to mush, which made thinking hard. She was pretty sure she was embarrassing herself.
She looked down at her hands, gripping the bar cloth like a lifeline, and then to Miles’s still-empty glass. Shaking ever so slightly, she poured him a new pint of lager—she assumed he wanted more of what they’d ordered the first round—and slid it toward him. Her eyes lifted and stilled as his gaze caught hers once again. The air in her lungs slipped out of her body and new breath rushed in, catching at the back of her throat. Space, she thought, must put some space between us. But taking a step back only meant she could see more of him.
Miles. She rolled the name around in her mind. How strange that just a few seconds ago she didn’t know his name, didn’t know he was an American, didn’t know what his touch felt like. Miles. He was staring at her, but not staring, really, because that would be rude and this was anything but rude. This was a bubble bath of attention, tingly and soft and warming to the core.
“It’s nice to meet you, Piper.”
“Same.” She relaxed into the feelings of connection. Of interest. In the back of her head, a little voice tried to get her attention, but she told it to shut up.
The door swung open, breaking the spell, and three people made their way to stools at the middle of the bar.
“I should go do my job,” Piper whispered.
“You do that,” Miles smiled. “I’m not going anywhere.”
— —
Two hours later, he was still there, talking rugby with Kate while Piper wiped down the last of the tables. They’d had a few more exchanges, short snippets of words and long, heavy looks, but the bar had gotten busy.
Now it was almost empty. Everyone else had left a few minutes earlier, including Sue. Piper had watched Miles say a brief goodbye to his aunt and realized he planned to wait for her to finish up, warming her to her toes and scattering her thoughts.
She put a final chair in its place and headed for the bar. Miles followed. “Can I walk you to the hostel?”
Ten,
nine, eight… Try not to squeal, Piper. “Is it on your way?”
“Close enough. We’ll actually pass my aunt’s house on the way, but it’s just another block.”
She grabbed her bag and waved goodbye to Kate.
“See you Monday. Don’t do anything I would do in the interim,” her boss said, winking. Piper turned quickly for the door, mortified.
Miles caught up with her a few steps outside the bar. He carefully bumped her shoulder. “Ignore Kate, she doesn’t have a filter.”
Piper took a deep breath and willed herself to relax. “I guess there’s not very much to do at eleven o’clock at night? No 24-hour Starbucks?”
“I don’t think so.” Miles paused. “I don’t actually live here.”
Piper realized that they hadn’t actually talked about much earlier, they had just stared at each other and (at least on her end) had weird tingly feelings.
“So you’re just visiting?”
“Yeah.”
She waited for him to elaborate. He didn’t, just looked at her, which didn’t feel unpleasant—just unnerving. She sucked in a breath. “That’s nice. I don’t have any aunts or uncles. My parents were both only children.”
“I’ve got fourteen aunts and uncles, counting on both sides. Made for some pretty sweet Christmases growing up. But Aunt Sue’s probably my favorite, and the only one in Europe.”
“Fun.”
“How about you? Are you an only child?”
She shook her head. “Nope, I’ve got a brother and a sister. And we’re all close. What my family lacks in extension it makes up for in intensity.”
