Alison grinned. “Some of us don’t move at the speed of light like you two. I need to figure things out first.”
“Well don’t take too long, sweetie. Some things are worth risking our hearts for.”
Chapter 8
For the second week in a row, Evan drove Alison home. He liked her beside him in the darkened interior of his SUV. It felt right—like she belonged there or something. How crazy was that? For a man used to being alone, with a history of spending only a night or two with a woman, he sure the hell loved having Alison around.
She yawned, and he glanced over at her profile in the moonlight. She’d closed her eyes for a moment and didn’t notice the way his swept over her, taking in her delicate features, gorgeous hair, and the swell of her breasts. His eyes trailed down, her legs covered by that long dress she had on. Fucking gorgeous.
He was more than a little curious about what she and Rebecca had been chatting about after dinner. They both kept shooting glances his way, and he’d started to feel like a kid at the seventh grade dance or something—boys on one side of the yard, girls on the other.
Except Alison was a smoking hot woman. Nothing girlish about her.
And his thoughts veered far beyond asking the girl across the floor to dance. He’d wanted to haul her into his arms, kissing her until she was breathless. Slowly peeling that dress off of her until he saw all of that sexy, lacy lingerie he’d noticed peeking out from beneath her dress. Until he’d explored every dip and curve of her.
He adjusted in his seat, his groin becoming tight.
She finally looked over at him and smiled. “I had fun tonight. Thanks for convincing me to have dinner at my best friend’s house.”
Evan laughed. “Yeah, it was good to see Rebecca and Patrick. That was far from the highlight of my night though.” His voice was deeper than he’d intended, and he wondered if Alison knew just how much she affected him.
“Is that so?”
“Hell yeah.” His eyes heated as he glanced over at her again.
The smile playing on her lips was dangerous. She looked like the cat that had got the canary. Her green eyes flashed as they passed under a streetlamp. “Hmmm…I can’t decide what the highlight of my night was.”
He reached ever and snatched her hand, bringing it up to his lips. He brushed a soft kiss across the back of it, and Alison’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Holding it there a beat too long, he kissed it again. It was far from chaste and innocent the way his lips continued to brush against her skin, and the fact that Alison didn’t pull away told him plenty.
***
Alison climbed out of Evan’s SUV ten minutes later, listening to him grumbling beside her that he’d get the door. Ha. Like she couldn’t climb out of his damn car unassisted.
That kiss had been scorching—and all the man had done was brush his lips across her hand. She was in way, way too deep already. The crazy thing was, hardly a damn thing had happened. They’d had dinner a few times. Flirted a bit. But it wasn’t exactly like Rebecca and Patrick’s first date where they’d spent the night making love in a luxury hotel suite.
Not that Rebecca had volunteered all the details, but with the satisfied smile on her lips all the time? The woman was happier than she’d been in ages.
“Couldn’t wait for me to help you, huh?” Evan smirked, crossing his arms in mock irritation. She loved the way his muscles bulged when he stood like that. Thick biceps, corded forearms, muscular hands that she wouldn’t mind him dragging all over her skin.
Damn he was cute acting all chauvinistic and macho on her.
She shrugged, flashing him a knowing smile.
Evan driving her home was quickly becoming a routine she wouldn’t mind getting used to. He was attentive and sweet. Hotter than any man she’d ever dated. He asked her questions about her work at the hospital. About her family.
And when those bright blue eyes bore into hers?
She loved it even more than she cared to admit.
He was so, so wrong for her, yet her body was screaming he was so, so right.
She turned to walk toward the front door as he assessed her, and a second later he’d captured her in his arms. She squealed in delight as he swung her up against his broad chest—not over his shoulder like last weekend, she noted. Evan holding her right against his solid, muscular frame was even better though. She felt protected and safe. Feminine, as he held her like she weighed nothing at all.
Part of her wanted to tug that shirt right off him, exploring the ripples of muscles on his abdomen, the broad pectorals spanning his chest, and the bulging biceps that held her. She wanted to trail over every hard plane and dip with her fingertips. To brush over them with her lips.
Ripples of desire shot through her as he held her close. He was in charge, commanding the situation, handling her. And hell if she didn’t love it.
No way was she sleeping with him tonight though. She’d had a few drinks, a long couple of days, and a lot of soul-searching to do.
Evan set her down right in front of her door and lifted her chin so that she met his searching gaze. “Part of me wants to invite myself in,” he admitted. “But I don’t think you’re ready for that.”
“No,” she said, smiling as he caressed her cheek with his fingers.
“Do you look at all of your male ‘friends’ the way you’re staring up at me now?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“No,” she admitted, warmth spreading through her.
“Good.”
He stepped back, waiting for her to unlock her door. She glanced over her shoulder at him. Heat licked through his eyes, his body tense. Their eyes locked, and she was pretty sure her heart stopped beating for a moment. Fumbling with the key, she finally unlocked the door and pushed it open. She didn’t hear him move, but as she turned to say goodbye, he was there. Larger than life, eyes boring into hers. He captured her chin in one hand and tilted her face up to him. He bent and brushed the softest hint of a kiss across her lips.
“Goodnight, Ali.”
A second later he was gone.
Chapter 9
Evan groaned as he climbed out of his SUV Wednesday night. The humid air surrounded and clung to him, making him feel like he’d stepped out of his air conditioned vehicle and straight into a sauna. A car honked in the distance, and the bass of a speaker blasted as a pick-up truck drove by. Hell. What he wouldn’t give for a moment’s peace and quiet. His entire body was sore from the PT and drills they’d conducted on base today. He’d lifted weights with his SEAL team that morning, nothing too out of the ordinary, and they’d drilled in combat that afternoon.
Evan had sparred with Patrick and Christopher, one right after the other, leaving his body on edge and exhausted. The punches and jabs they’d exchanged left him aching and sore, and although he’d briefly gotten one up on Christopher, taking him to the floor, he’d fought back twice as hard. Those guys were massive, and although Evan could hold his own with any of the men on his team, he felt the deep ache in his muscles from all that exertion. He sure as hell hoped they were as sore as him. As the youngest guy on his SEAL team, wasn’t he supposed to have the advantage?
Still, even at twenty-seven, some days he already felt like he was too old for this. What had been fun and exciting years ago wore him down some days now. The Navy had been his life, his career, his everything. Now that he was older, he was starting to see there were some other things he needed. A wife. Kids of his own. A family.
Tomorrow he’d get in a long run, clearing his head, and letting his body recover. He wasn’t sure what had him all out of sorts lately, but he was ready for something to change. Thank fuck they weren’t doing the same drills again tomorrow. His mind and body both needed a break.
Everyone had been on edge today on base, a sizzle electrifying the air. There had been an urgency underlying the day-to-day regimen he and his team had grown accustomed to. They’d been back from their last deployment for only a couple of weeks, but it was quiet—too qu
iet. Something was on the horizon. He could feel it in his gut.
Their CO hadn’t given word of any impending ops, but Evan could sense a stir in the air on base. A change in his commander’s focus. Something big was coming.
His team was trained to be ready at all times. They were at the government’s beck and call twenty-four/seven, whether they liked it or not. Such was the life of a SEAL. They’d rapidly deploy when called up, leaving within hours, and he was just waiting for the word. Years in the military had left him attuned to his surroundings, and with the silent hush-hush energy on base today, he knew, without a doubt, they’d be on a transport sooner rather than later.
Once again he’d be whisked off on a mission. Just like that.
That hadn’t fared so well for Patrick last time, as the team had been sent off right after the incident with Rebecca’s stalker. His teammate had been furious at wheels-up, livid over the entire confrontation with the man stalking Rebecca and subsequent fight he’d had with her. He’d never seen a man look so angry and shattered at the same time.
The entire SEAL team had been watching over Rebecca and her daughter that week. Patrick’s asking for help in their protection only solidified how much she meant to him. The team’s shipping out in the midst of his personal crisis wasn’t ideal, but when Uncle Sam needed you, you went. Luckily their relationship had a strong enough foundation to build on, and now those two were as happy as any couple he’d ever seen.
Maybe someday he’d find that.
The craziness on base sure didn’t give him much time to wonder.
He stalked through the dark parking lot of the shopping center. It was already after nine, but that didn’t matter to his grumbling stomach. Hours of training followed by a few rounds of pool and beers with the guys had left him famished. The only thing welcoming him at home would be an empty fridge, so it was time to stock up on some necessities.
A swish of long red hair caught his attention as a woman in scrubs climbed out of a car a few spaces ahead of him. She was petite, and even in the low light, there was no mistaking the spun rose-gold shade of that hair. Narrowing his eyes, he saw that it was indeed Alison. What was she doing shopping alone this late at night?
“Alison!”
She jumped a foot in the air, her hand clutched to her chest, and he chastised himself for scaring her. Walking closer, he glanced down at his black tee-shirt and army-green cargos. He looked like he was conducting some kind of night-ops raid out here in the dark. All he needed was his body armor and weapon. Because that wouldn’t look too threatening.
“Evan?” she asked, looking relieved to see it was him. Hell. All he needed was to scare her into another asthma attack or something. Did that even trigger them?
Wait a second. Was she trembling?
“Aw, hell, Ali. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He reached out and stroked her arm, feeling the goose bumps coating her skin. His need to touch and comfort her surpassed all other wants. Suddenly his tiredness and hunger seemed secondary to making sure Alison was okay. He was the type of man to watch out for a woman. To defend and give shelter. Protecting others was engrained in his DNA, and having her startled because of his move didn’t sit well with him.
She relaxed as his fingers lightly brushed up and down her arm, reassuring her. Nothing would ever happen to Alison when he was around. Hell if he didn’t wish he could tell her that. He’d just about pushed the limit last weekend, brushing her lips with a soft kiss. He could tell she was skittish of getting too close to him. She might as well be wearing a big “Proceed with Caution” sign.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Same as you—grocery shopping.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he repeated, reluctantly taking his hand away. Part of him wanted to tuck her into his arms, to hold her close and keep her safe, but that didn’t seem appropriate at this exact moment. She still seemed a little wary. Unsure. The way she looked up at him right now killed him.
His eyes drifted over her porcelain skin, green eyes, and rosy lips. She was so delicate compared to his own hard, masculine features. Weak where he was strong. Soft where he was hard. Gentle compared to the warrior in him. His exact opposite.
Her fruity scent once again slammed into him. One of these days he was dying to discover whether all of her skin held that intoxicating aroma. To kiss his way up and down her body. To make her cry out for him as she came.
“I just got off work.”
Aaaand back to reality.
“You look cute in scrubs,” he said, winking at her. The pale blue v-neck top was modest, but he was so much taller than Alison that he could see the swell of her breasts peeking out from beneath the fabric as he gazed down.
Not that he was looking. Right.
Despite the loose, almost baggy fit of the top, she looked just as enticing as when she’d had on that sexy dress the other night. Who knew he’d find scrubs so damn attractive?
Hell.
“And you look cute as Rambo,” she muttered, turning around to head toward the store.
“Cute, huh? I’ll take it.”
He grinned as she walked off in a huff. Damn, she was adorable when she was mad. Two long strides, and he’d nearly caught up with her. He held back a moment, enjoying the way her ass swished back and forth in her scrubs. Those things looked like they were made of the thinnest cotton imaginable. Too bad he didn’t have a good reason to haul her into his arms again tonight. He bet that he could feel every curve of hers beneath that soft fabric.
He stifled a groan as he fell into step beside her. “Why are you out here so late by yourself?”
“Late? It’s not even nine o’clock.”
“It’s dark out,” he said, an uncomfortable tightness constricting his chest. He didn’t like the idea of Alison loading her car full of groceries by herself in the dark parking lot. Or hauling them into her townhouse alone. Some creep could be watching her and follow her home. Hell, Rebecca had a stalker waiting right outside her house. What if someone was scouting Alison’s neighborhood? It was a safe area, but an attractive woman all alone at night could draw unwanted attention. She’d be distracted, unpacking her bags from the car. She’d never notice if some asshole was watching her.
Wait. Her townhouse had a garage, right? Well, that was something. It still didn’t sit well with him.
“You should go shopping during the day,” he insisted.
“I was working,” she said, grabbing a basket. Evan took it from her without thinking, following her to the produce section. She selected a pre-packaged salad.
“Is that your lunch for tomorrow?”
“Nope. Dinner.”
“No way,” he said, taking it from her and shoving it back into the refrigerated section.
“What are you doing?” she asked, looking slightly annoyed. Come to think of it, she looked pretty exhausted. Dark circles that hadn’t been there over the weekend were shadowing her eyes. Had she not been sleeping well? Or maybe she was just tired from whatever shift she’d been on. She worked some kind of crazy schedule—a few days on, a few days off. If she had to cram a forty-hour work week into just a few days, those must be some long-ass hours. Something he was more than accustomed to during their ops. Running on a few hours sleep was standard when they were called into action.
“I’m starving. You obviously just got off work at the hospital. I’m cooking us dinner.”
“It’s nine o’clock at night.”
“I think we established that,” he said, trying not to smile.
“Look, sorry if I’m being grumpy, but I’m tired.”
“Which is exactly why I’m going to cook you dinner,” Evan said, a surge of adrenaline rushing through him. Man, had it really been five minutes ago that he was exhausted beyond all belief? Seeing Alison had revived and energized him, sending sparks of electricity and awareness through his entire body. Yeah, maybe his muscles still burned, but hell if he didn�
��t have a second wind that hadn’t been there as he’d pulled into the parking lot earlier.
She hesitated, and Evan grabbed her hand, tugging her along. It felt good having her at his side, crazy as that sounded. Something about it just seemed right.
He’d whip them up a quick pasta dinner—maybe find some of those frozen meatballs and a jar of marinara sauce. And wine—they definitely needed a bottle of that. “So, I’m thinking I’ll cook at your place,” Evan suggested. Some other night he could impress her with actual cooking. At his apartment. The woman looked exhausted though, and there was no way he was going to invite her over and then send her driving home alone late at night. Her place it was.
“Hey, if you’re really offering to cook me dinner, I won’t turn you down.”
“Just as friends,” Evan added, winking at her. “So don’t go trying to rip all my clothes off later on.” Alison turned as red as her hair, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey, you keep shooting me down when I try to ask you on an actual date.”
“Evan—”
“It’s cool,” he said, cutting her off. “I can do the friend thing for now. But just remember, I’m right here when you change your mind.”
“When I change my mind?” she asked, her lips quirking at the corners as she fought her smile.
“Bound to happen.”
Alison laughed, grinning for the first time all evening. “Are all you SEALs so relentless?”
“It’s just part of our charm, baby.”
Chapter 10
Alison stretched out on her sofa, a generous glass of Merlot in her hand. The entire evening had been pretty surreal so far, so she was just going with the flow. Maybe she’d wake up in a few minutes from this delicious dream in which a hot Navy SEAL was standing in her kitchen, cooking her dinner after a long day. It had to be too good to be true. Taking another sip of the full-bodied red, she felt her body warm. The second glass was definitely taking the edge off of her stressful day. Angry parents, sick kids, long hours—how could this be only day one back on her shift?
SEALed with a Kiss (Alpha SEALs Book 2) Page 7
