SEALs of Summer 2: A Military Romance Superbundle

by S. M. Butler

  Tag and Deuce were making their marriages work so far, but Grey saw the stress it caused their wives, and them. He wanted nothing to do with that mess.

  The women approached. Darci leaned down to kiss his cheek. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

  Stifling a groan, he rose to his feet. No sense trying to dissuade Darci; she could be a bulldog when she wanted something. The redhead stood a head shorter than him, so he looked down into her light green eyes. Pretty eyes. Sexy mouth.

  “Grey Stone, this is my friend, Dr. Reganne McCain. She’s a pediatrician. Reganne, this is Senior Chief Petty Officer Grey Stone.”

  He stretched out a hand. “Grey.”

  Reganne’s hand slipped into his. Small and delicate with long fingers and soft skin. Pampered skin. Not like his, rough with callouses.

  “Reganne.”

  “Well, I’ll just leave you two alone to talk.” With a Cheshire grin, Darci bounced off to join her husband at the grill.

  “She’s not very subtle, is she?” A smile crossed Reganne’s face.

  “No.” Grey motioned toward the lawn chairs behind him. “Would you like to sit?”

  God, he should have gone for a swim before coming back to the party. He must smell awful. What was Darci thinking trying to set him up when he’d just finished a good workout?

  Reganne sat down in one of the chairs; he sat in the other. At least he sat downwind of her. Having her catch a whiff of him would be embarrassing.

  “So, how do you know Darci?”

  “We met at my office. Darci was looking for a pediatrician for—” At his raised brow she broke off, taking a long sip of her drink. “And, I’ve said too much already. Damn beer. Loosens my tongue every time.”

  Mentally, Grey put the pieces together. Pediatrician. Met Darci at her office. Holy Christ, was Darci—

  His gaze flew to Tag’s wife, who chatted with Malloy—sure, now he showed up—a tall glass of iced tea in her hand. No fruity drink. No beer. He dropped his gaze to her stomach, where the tiniest little bump protruded beneath her blouse. Barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.

  Son of a bitch. Tag hadn’t said a word.

  A brief bout of panic washed over him. The thought of Tag raising kids in this environment gave him palpitations. What was his buddy thinking?

  “You didn’t hear that from me.” Reganne grinned. “The official story is we met at the beach, since I live a few houses down.”

  Grey took a long pull of his beer. “My lips are sealed.”

  “Thank you. Darci doesn’t want anyone to know until they make the announcement. Damn it, there I go again.” She thrust the bottle at him. “Please, save me from myself. I don’t get out often.”

  Shaking himself out of his stupor, Grey took the nearly empty bottle from her and set it on the ground beside him.

  “So, you’re a Navy SEAL, too. Did you always want to be in the Navy?”

  He hadn’t planned on following in his father’s footsteps, but the Navy fit him better than he’d expected. Becoming a SEAL began as a one-up on his dad but had quickly become a calling.

  “Can’t imagine myself being anything else.” He shrugged. “What about you? Did you always want to be a doctor?”

  She crossed her legs. Long, tanned, smooth. So smooth he wanted to touch just to see if her skin was as soft there as her hands.

  “I love kids. Always have. Guess I can’t imagine myself being anything else either.”

  That was a deal breaker. She loved kids. Probably wanted a horde of her own. He didn’t want any. Darci’s attempt at matchmaker had failed this time. Too bad, too. He liked talking to Reganne. Actually felt comfortable with her. Not to mention she was drop-dead gorgeous.

  “You have your own office, then?” So much for making an excuse and taking off.

  The wind lifted a piece of hair off her shoulder. Absently, she tucked it behind her ear. “I share it with two other pediatricians. Makes those building rental payments much easier to make.”

  “I imagine. Your office is nearby?”

  “Downtown. We’re in the cluster of medical buildings on B Avenue. Keeps me busy.”

  Her voice eased away any qualms he had. He’d bet she had a great bedside manner. Nothing about her set him on edge. Not like some women, who pushed hard and made it clear they wanted to spend the night with a SEAL. Sometimes that made for damn good sex. No strings, no expectations. Just what he liked.

  “More than nine-to-five, huh?” He drained his beer.

  “Most days, yes. Between office calls and rotations at the hospital I have very little social life.”

  Ditto for him. Being a SEAL didn’t allow for much socializing. Not that he socialized much. He’d much rather head up to his grandparents’ cabin in the mountains for a few days of fishing. Team 5 was his family, but he still preferred his time alone to decompress.

  The team tried to get together during their downtime. Usually here at Tag’s, since he was on the beach. And Darci loved throwing parties. He planned on staying for the party then heading to the cabin for the rest of the weekend. It had been awhile since he’d been up there. Cabin probably needed to be aired out, dusted. He tried to get up there in the spring but hadn’t found the time yet this year.

  “Chow’s ready.” Tag called out and everyone moved toward the deck where Darci had quite the spread laid out. Thanks also to Deuce, whose Irish/Italian family owned a restaurant downtown and always sent over tons of food. Since Grey didn’t cook, he’d brought a couple six-packs.

  “Shall we?” he asked Reganne as he rose to his feet.

  “Sure.” She stood and together they walked to the deck. Grey handed her a paper plate and plastic silverware wrapped in a napkin.

  “This is quite the spread,” Reganne commented as she scooped some spaghetti carbonara onto her plate.

  A woman who wasn’t afraid to eat. He liked that. Nothing like taking a woman to dinner and having her order a salad because she didn’t want her date to know she actually ate real food.

  Grey helped himself to a steak, grilled to perfection, his mouth already watering. Tag knew his way around a grill. He noticed Reganne biting her lip as she debated whether to have a burger or steak.

  “Darci puts her own seasoning in the burgers,” he told her. “She won’t tell anyone what it is and you won’t be sorry for trying one.”

  “That settles it, then.” Reganne choose one of the burgers and proceeded to top it with condiments.

  Darci breezed by, saying over her shoulder, “Don’t forget to try the Chocolate Sheet Cake. Reganne made it herself.”

  This sexy pediatrician baked, too? Although she didn’t seem too happy about Darci sharing that little tidbit. She tossed Tag’s wife an exasperated look before glancing at him. Grey quirked an eyebrow.

  “I like cake.” He grinned.

  She returned the smile and his world turned on its axis. Their gazes held for a few seconds before someone nudged him from behind.

  “You gonna move or stand there all day?” Mikey asked, reaching around Grey for a roll.

  Moment broken, Grey elbowed Mikey, who huffed out a breath on impact, then laughed. Good-natured Mikey. He didn’t think he’d ever seen the man down.

  Reganne moved to the end of the table, where she put a slice of watermelon on her plate. Grey finished filling his, making sure he didn’t miss the sheet cake, then walked with her back to their chairs.

  “Would you like to move closer to the others?” He’d moved his chair into the shade after the game and now realized how secluded they were.

  “No, this is fine.” Reganne sat down, balancing her plate on her knees.

  They ate in silence, not uncomfortable, as he’d expected. He wasn’t one for small talk, never had been, and that usually led to uncomfortable pauses in conversation. Part of the reason he didn’t go on many dates.

  Everything on his plate tasted amazing. And not only because he’d just got back from deployment. His friends knew ho
w to cook. Cutting his fork through the chocolate cake, he lifted it to his mouth and tasted a bite. Rich chocolate burst on his tongue. Moist, delicious, perfect. Reganne the pediatrician was one hell of a baker.

  “This is the best cake I’ve ever tasted.”

  Reganne glanced up from her plate, delight shining on her face. “Really? The recipe was given to me by the grandmother of one of my patients. I’ve never made it before today.”

  A woman who took risks. He liked that, too. In fact, he liked many things about Dr. Reganne McCain. He hadn’t felt this comfortable with a woman in…well, ever. Her laid-back manner made her incredibly easy to talk to. He’d bet her patients loved her.

  “Well, it’s a keeper.”

  She smiled. Soft and pretty. “Thank you. I took a big risk bringing an untried recipe to a party.”

  A gentle breeze brushed past, lifting a strand of her auburn hair and blowing it across her cheek. Grey stopped himself from reaching over and tucking it behind her ear just so he could touch her.

  “Let me take that for you.” He rose and held out a hand for her plate.

  “Thank you.”

  “Want another beer?”

  She laughed. “I don’t think I should. Might tell you my social security number and code to my security system.”

  Grey chuckled. When had he smiled or even laughed so easily? “Your secrets would be safe with me. How about iced tea or soda?”

  Something crossed her face before she masked it. Regret? No, he must have read it wrong. She seemed very well-rounded. Regret didn’t suit her.

  “Iced tea sounds good.”

  “Be right back.”

  He tossed their plates in the trash and poured a cup full of freshly made sun tea. Deuce grabbed a beer out of the cooler, quirking a brow at him. Grey nodded and he tossed him a bottle.

  “I hear Darci is playing matchmaker again.”

  Grey popped the cap off his beer. “Yeah, I’m this month’s target.”

  “She’s pretty. Educated. Not much there not to like. Looks like the two of you are getting along all right.”

  Better than his buddy knew.

  Donovan clapped him on the shoulder. “Let it play out. See where it goes. You really do need to get out more.”

  “Darci put you up to that?”

  Deuce grinned. “My lips are sealed.”

  As Grey walked back to where Reganne sat, legs crossed, face lifted to the warm breeze, he wondered if Deuce was right. Maybe he needed to get out more. Date instead of having one night stands, which lately had been few and far between.

  Reganne was the type of woman you dated. Took to fancy restaurants and operas. A shudder worked its way through him. Opera. Damn. For her, he’d suffer it.

  What the hell was happening to him?

  Chapter Two

  ‡

  As Grey walked back toward Reganne, he saw her go rigid in her chair. He followed her gaze to the beach but saw nothing except beachgoers. Nothing out of the unusual. Something spooked her, though, because the color had drained from her face.

  She stood as he approached. “I have to go. I’m sorry.”

  Setting the drinks down on the ground, he touched her arm, causing her to jump. He immediately dropped his hand. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head, wrapping her arms around her waist. “Nothing. I’m just tired. Too many long hours at the office. I think I’ll say my goodbyes.”

  Her forced smile didn’t convince him one iota. “Let me walk you home.”

  “No. Thank you. I’m only a few doors down.” Her gaze strayed once again to the beach.

  “I insist. Come on. I’ll say your goodbyes for you later.”

  After a moment’s hesitation she nodded. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “I’m this way.” She began walking toward the less populated area of the beach.

  Grey checked his stride to match hers. Tension radiated off her in waves. What the hell had she seen on the beach?

  They walked in silence about a half-mile until they reached a stilted beach house. Beige with white trim. Small, elegant, with an ornate white staircase leading to a covered porch with matching railings. It suited Reganne.

  “This is me.” She stopped at the bottom step, her hand on the railing. “Thanks for walking me home. Sorry I cut out on the party.”

  “I was heading out soon anyway.”

  She nodded, still not quite her friendly, open self she’d been at the party. What had caused the change?

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to your friends.”

  Dismissed. Something made him want to hang around and not leave quite yet. Despite her change in attitude he still wanted to spend time with her. He liked talking to her. Enjoyed her company. Wanted to know more about her.

  “What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t walk you all the way to your door?”

  At her surprised look, he nudged her up the steps, doing his best to keep his eyes off her perfect backside.

  Reganne opened the door, quickly putting the code into the security system. Something flitted across her face as she made a fast scan of the room.

  “Something wrong?”

  Her lips pursed. “No. Just a feeling.” She turned to him with a smile that didn’t convince him she was fine. “Thanks again for walking me home.”

  She started to close the door, but he stopped it with his hand and saw panic flash in her eyes. What the hell? He dropped his hand.

  “What kind of feeling did you have?” He’d learned to always trust his instincts. They rarely steered him wrong. Had saved his life a time or two in the field.

  “It’s nothing.”

  Not a very good liar. “How about I come in and take a look around?”

  “There’s no need for that. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  He waited.

  “That’s very kind of you, but I’m fine. Everything’s good here.”

  Smart and stubborn. “How about this. I give you my number so you can call me if anything changes. Day or night.”

  Some of the tension eased from her delicate features. “You aren’t going to leave until I agree, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Wait here.”

  She disappeared inside the house only to return seconds later to thrust a pen and pad of paper at him. He wrote down his number and handed it back.

  “Call anytime.” He gave her a two-finger salute and turned to leave.

  He cast a glance over his shoulder when he reached the bottom step to see Reganne watching him, the paper clutched to her chest. Busted, she ducked inside the house and closed the door. Grey whistled on his way back to the party.

  *

  Reganne locked the door and set the security alarm. Heart fluttering, she stared down at the bold script written on the girly pink stationary. It had been a long time since a man had given her his number. Even longer since she’d wanted one to. Especially a tall, gorgeous Navy SEAL with eyes the color of clouds after a thunderstorm. The most unusual grey she’d ever seen. So intense. As if she was the only one at the party. He hadn’t even noticed the blond bombshells walking on the beach.

  The last man to give her that kind of attention…

  No. Not going there. She’d left that life behind ten months ago when she moved here. All the precautions she’d been instructed by the police department had been taken. She changed her number to an unlisted one, deleted her social media sites and cancelled her credit cards. Changing her name hadn’t been an option due to her profession, but she kept her practice low-key, disguising herself in an office with two other doctors.

  Leaving her friends and patients had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Harder than coming out of a coma to find the man that put her there standing over her bed.

  A shudder worked its way down her spine despite the warm temperature inside the house. She rarely used the air conditioning, preferring to open the windows and let the salty ocean air soothe her. />
  Until today, she hadn’t had a reason to keep the windows closed. It had been so long since she’d been able to keep them open she couldn’t bear to be closed in again.

  Carsen’s face flitted across her vision. Reganne squeezed her eyes closed. Opened them. Looked around the empty room.

  He wasn’t here. She’d taken precautions to make sure he didn’t find her. The man she’d seen on the beach couldn’t possibly have been him. No matter how much he resembled her former fiancé.

  Tears sprung to her eyes. Damn it. The past few months had been so good. She’d actually stopped looking over her shoulder and allowed herself to make friends. No dates, but after meeting Grey she wanted to.

  He may be a little intense, but she didn’t get a negative vibe from him. Then again, she hadn’t with Carsen either. Well, not in the beginning. Hindsight being twenty/twenty, she realized now the signs had been there and she’d ignored them. Or, made excuses for them. Writing them off as something else she could wrap her head around.

  God, was she fool enough to risk another relationship? Because going through that again made her want to run far, far away.

  Honestly, what were the chances of Carsen finding her? Would he even want to after what she’d done?

  No, probably not.

  Feeling a little calmer, Reganne walked into the kitchen and hung Grey’s phone number on the fridge using a magnet that looked like a flip-flop. As with every other day since she’d been here, she fought the urge to close and lock all the windows. As a precaution, she’d had motion detectors put outside the windows that would set off the alarm if someone approached. That helped her feel safe in this beautiful place.

  Reminding herself she had no reason to do so, she headed upstairs for a shower. She didn’t live like that anymore. Not even after the scare she’d had today. Which was simply her mind playing tricks on her as it had hundreds of times in the past.