SEAL's Technique Box Set (A Navy SEAL Romance)

by Claire Adams

  “Yes, Coach Vinson,” came the reply spoke in unison. There were a few giggles, but mostly the girls seemed as serious about this as I was. That was good.

  “All right, since today is my first day and I don't know any of you, I just want you each to introduce yourselves to me. Let’s all go over to the bleachers, and you can each take a turn to stand up, tell me your name and where you're from, and what you're majoring in here at Florida State. After that, we'll play a few games so I can see you in action and see who's really got what it takes to be in the starting lineup. So go on, get a move on.”

  The girls did as I said and sat in two neat rows on the bottom bleachers. I guessed Coach Hatting had whipped them into shape over the past few weeks; I was grateful he had at least taken care of one issue for me.

  I quickly took out the list of names and scanned over it, making sure I wouldn't miss the players Coach Hatting pointed out – for both good and bad reasons.

  The first girl who stood up was a blonde knockout, one who would totally look at home in any L.A. A-list party, and therefore, one I felt a little repelled by. I didn't want to be reminded too much of those times. She was even wearing a shit-ton of makeup…for a volleyball practice. Really? Come on.

  “Hi, Coach,” she said, smiling flirtatiously and batting her eyes.

  Oh, this was just great. Already someone trying to win me over with what she surely thought was her feminine charm.

  “I'm Tammy McRae.”

  Ahhh. I remembered that name from the list. She was one of the players whose parents had been slipping the coach a little something on the side. Well, bribing the coach, to be more accurate.

  “I'm 21 years old, and I'm from Los Angeles. I'm majoring in acting and drama. And, I must say, I feel so, so privileged to be coached by a volleyball legend like you,” she added, giving me a lustful gaze.

  Great, just great – a wannabe starlet. I didn’t need any more of those in my life.

  I listened to the several of the girls as they introduced themselves. More than a few of them had cushy majors and gave me that flirty smile I was hoping to avoid. I could only hope they could be professional and take their position on the team seriously.

  Finally, though, the girl who had caught my eye – and taken my breath away – stood up and introduced herself.

  “Hi, Coach Vinson,” she said in a soft, but confident tone. “My name is Eryn Barnett. I'm 21 years old, and I'm majoring in computer programming.”

  Interesting. It seemed that this girl had brains as well as beauty. And, I immediately recognized her name as the one on Coach Hatting’s watch list.

  However, her attitude was nothing like the majority of the others who had gone before her. The way she looked at me came across as if she didn't want to talk to me, at all. Still, I couldn't help but stare at her as she spoke. I caught myself doing so and immediately blushed, hoping she or none of the other girls had noticed.

  She smiled a tight-lipped smile and sat down abruptly.

  If she was one Hatting said had talent, there was only one way to find out about that: get her out there on the court and play. I made a few notes on my chart as the remaining players made their introductions.

  “All right, girls,” I said, “let's get you into two teams, and then you can show me what you've got.”

  I arranged them into two teams and let them go at it while I watched carefully and took notes. Hatting was right: there were a few stellar players who seemed to have been unfairly excluded from the previous starting lineup, most likely because they hadn't paid off the coach.

  And chief among these was Eryn Barnett. My God, she could play – she had incredible talent.

  I knew I had to speak to her after practice. It was rare that I came across anyone with such natural talent for the sport. I sent the team to hit the showers, but as they were leaving, I hurried over to Eryn as she was picking up her gym bag.

  “Hold on there, Miss Barnett,” I said, hoping that she wouldn't notice the raw attraction gleaming in my eyes. “Can I have a quick word with you…in private?”

  Chapter Three

  Eryn

  I couldn't help the sudden rush of nervousness that invaded when Coach Vinson asked me to stay behind after practice. We’d had one practice. What did he need to talk to me about? And why me, but no other players on the team? To be perfectly honest, it made me a little nervous – for more reasons than one.

  Even though I’d played it down with Leena, seeing him in person, I couldn't deny that the man was absolutely gorgeous. He was hands-down one of the best looking men I'd ever laid eyes on.

  But then again, so was my ex. Tim was a model, and so I knew exactly how these male model types worked. Tim lied brilliantly and had me fooled for so long before I finally caught him in the act of one of his multiple affairs. Even then, he'd manipulated me so well that, for a while, I had doubted whether it had even happened, even though I'd seen it with my own eyes.

  And this guy, the infamous Wade Vinson, well… I'd heard all the stories about him. Thanks to the tabloids, everyone knew all about the sordid details of his relationship with Georgia Jackson. If you asked me, he was a guy exactly like Tim: arrogant, self-centered, and manipulative. A guy who’d been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and who always got whatever he wanted due to his good looks.

  Well, I'd been played once by a guy exactly like that. I had no use for another one in my life. Even if he was just my coach. And because he was my coach, there wasn’t a chance in hell anything was going to happen. Even if the man hadn’t been 11 years older, I wouldn't allow it.

  I walked up to him as the other girls left the court. When he beamed a crooked smile at me, I could swear I saw the glint of something flirty in his eyes, but I kept my own expression cool and polite.

  “What did you want to talk about, Coach Vinson?” I asked.

  “Call me Wade, please,” he replied in a sweet tone.

  “I'd prefer to call you 'Coach Vinson,'. Coach Vinson,” I replied somewhat coldly. I was not going to give him any room to try any games with me.

  He nodded. “Fair enough. Well, Eryn, I just wanted to say that you really impressed me out there on the court. Your positioning, anticipation of opponents' moves, and your own athleticism and skill at handling the ball are all seriously impressive.”

  I couldn't help looking down and blushing. I wasn't used to receiving such sincere and heartfelt compliments.

  “Thanks, Coach,” I mumbled in reply, caught off guard.

  “There's more, though. I had a long and detailed conversation with Coach Hatting about the team earlier today. He explained everything about, umm, how can I put it…the…irregularities involved with the former coach of this team. Anyway, since the issue hasn't been legally resolved in full, I'm not allowed to go into too much detail about it with you girls yet, but let's just say there was some serious injustice going on regarding selection for the starting lineup.

  “I'm aware that, despite you being one of the best players on the team and the fact that you're here on a volleyball scholarship, you haven't been part of the starting lineup. I feel you should know there’s a good chance that's going to change. I judge people on hard work and talent alone. Keep working hard, and I can definitely see you being a starter this season.

  “We've got some big games coming up at the start of the season, and because of the…irregularities, we're starting out low on the ladder. We're going to have to work hard to get back to a top spot in the rankings, but I think we can do it.”

  I stood in stunned silence for a moment, not sure how to respond. I looked into his eyes and caught myself getting lost in them for a second. Damn, the man was beautiful. I snapped out of it, reminding myself that, despite his pretensions to the contrary, I knew what kind of person he really was: a player, just like my ex. Still, player or not, he had just told me that I was likely to make the starting lineup, and that was the best news I'd had in a long time.

  “I… I don't know what to s
ay, Coach Vinson. Thank you. You can bet I'll be working my butt off to get into that starting lineup.”

  “You do that. You've got real talent, Eryn, and that could take you far. I mean that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “That's all; go on and hit the showers. I'll see you tomorrow at practice.”

  “See you then, Wa-, um, Coach Vinson.”

  I cursed myself for that little slip of my tongue as I hurried toward the locker room. As I did, I’d have sworn I could feel his eyes piercing into me while I walked away.

  *****

  I was leaving the computer lab when my professor, Dr. Adams, stopped me.

  “Eryn, the secretary at the student finance office asked if I could pass on a message to you.”

  “And what might that be, Dr. Adams?”

  “She simply asked if you stop by there as soon as possible.”

  “Okay, I'll do that. Thanks for passing on the message.”

  He smiled at me. “No problem, Eryn. Keep up the good work, by the way; your grades are looking great this semester!”

  “Thanks, Dr. Adams,” I said, and then I turned and left.

  It was always comforting to know that I was doing well, even though I didn't really have much interest in the subject I’d chosen as my major.

  I'd chosen computer programming because I knew there would be excellent work opportunities after I graduated and that was important to me. Seeing my mom suffer through her low pay and long hours just to take care of my sister and me made me focus more on making sure I could land a good job after college, rather than what I’d wanted to study.

  Make no mistake, my mind was fully committed to my studies, but deep down, I'd wanted to major in art. Painting was my passion and I was good at it – really good. But realistically, I knew it wouldn't be a field in which I could make a solid living – and I wanted to be certain of a steady income, not only for my sake, but for my mom's. She had suffered long enough, and anything I could do to help her out – well, I'd do it.

  As I approached the finance office, I wondered why they wanted to talk to me. I couldn't help but feel a tingle of nerves brewing in my gut. I couldn't afford to lose my scholarship, not now. There was no way either my mom or I could afford to pay full tuition.

  Sometimes, I regretted the decision I'd made. I'd been offered a full scholarship to Duke University, but I'd turned it down and taken the partial one offered by Florida State just because I'd wanted to stay here for my mom's sake. With my sister all the way across the country, I was the only person Mom had. She tried to make me take it, make me go to Duke, but without me here, she'd be alone and I couldn’t stand the thought of that at the time.

  Even though it was sometimes hard to accept, I knew deep down that I'd made the right decision at that point in my life. In some ways, I realized now that it was more for me than her. I wasn’t quite ready to be so far from home then.

  Feeling more than a little anxious, I stepped into the finance office. The secretary looked up at me as I walked in.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I'm Eryn Barnett. I was told I needed to come here.”

  She ruffled through a stack of papers on her desk, and then she smiled as she found my file. “Ah, here's yours.”

  She skimmed through it, and the smile on her face rapidly changed to a frown. “Close the door, sweetie, and have a seat,” she directed.

  I complied and slumped down into the seat in front of her desk, not liking the look on her plump, rosy cheeks.

  “Hmmm,” she mumbled to herself. “You're here on a volleyball scholarship, aren't you?”

  “I am, yes,” I replied, the nervousness inside me growing exponentially.

  “Yes. Well, you see, the finance director just completed an audit of all scholarships and found that you haven't actually been playing much. With the amount of scholarship money you are receiving, the director feels you should not only be playing, but starting.”

  My cheeks felt hot with both embarrassment and frustration.

  “That's true, but, aren't you guys aware of the controversy with the former coach? He-”

  “We know of the allegations, but unfortunately, since he hasn't been convicted yet, we can't take those into account.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I'm sorry, Miss Barnett, but if you aren't playing and benefiting the athletic program this season, the school will have no choice but to revoke your scholarship. Funding is tight this year, and the university has instructed us to trim the budget wherever possible. I'm sorry to bring you this news, Miss Barnett, but you must understand that we simply can't afford to fund students who don't perform at the level expected of them.”

  I breathed in a long, slow breath, fighting the tears that threatened to pour out. “I understand,” I replied slowly. “Is that all? Can I go now?”

  “You can go,” she said.

  I walked out sluggishly, my steps heavy. If I lost this scholarship…no, I couldn't even begin to consider that. That wasn’t an option. I had to make that starting lineup, whatever it took.

  I was supposed to meet Leena for coffee, but now I knew that I couldn't. I needed to get to the gym and train, instead. I took out my phone, sent her an apologetic message, and then gritted my teeth and headed off to the locker room.

  *****

  I limped into the kitchen, aching and weary from the extra workout time I'd put in earlier. All I wanted was to eat a quick, healthy snack, climb into the bathtub and soak for a while, and then crawl into bed. The last thing I wanted to think about was what I'd been told at the finance office earlier.

  Hell, I was struggling enough with everything else, including covering my half of the rent on the apartment I shared with Leena. If I didn't make the starting lineup…well, I didn't even want to consider the consequences.

  Just as I began rifling through the contents of the fridge, my phone rang. Annoyed, I took it out. Couldn't I have just a moment of peace?

  My annoyance faded though when I saw who it was: my mom. “Hi, Mom,” I said.

  “Hey, sweetie. How did the practice go with the new coach today? What's his name again?”

  “Wade Vinson.”

  “Ah, yeah, Wade Vinson, that celebrity from out west. Is he as much of a hunk in real life as he looks like in all the pictures?”

  “Mom!”

  “Come on, I’m old. Not dead. I just wanna know!”

  I chuckled. As tired as she often was, my mom always found ways to make me smile and laugh. “He's very good looking, all right? Not that it matters. The point is, it seems like he’s going to be a really good coach.”

  “I sure hope he comes to his senses and puts you in as a starter. It's long overdue.”

  “I hope so, too, Mom. I do have a good feeling about this season, though. I really think it'll be my year.”

  I hoped that the cheerfulness of my tone was adequately hiding the anxiety in my voice. I definitely didn't want her to know anything about what the finance office had told me earlier. She had too much on her plate already.

  “I'm praying for you, my dear. You've worked so hard for this; you really deserve your shot at the big time.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Say, do you want me to come over and make you dinner again tomorrow night?”

  “You don't have to do that, sweetie.”

  “Come on, Mom, just let me help out. I know you've got another twelve-hour shift tomorrow. Really, it's no problem.”

  “Well…if it's not a hassle, I always love to see my girl.”

  “I'll see you around seven. Goodnight, love you.”

  “Love you, too, sweetie. Have a good night.”

  “Night, Mom.”

  I put my phone back in my pocket and sighed. Things had to turn around this year. They just had to. Otherwise, I had no idea what I would do. No idea whatsoever.

  Feeling weary, I managed to whip up a simple salad from some greens and veggies we had sitting in the fridge and ate it almost mechanically
at the kitchen table while watching some mindless reality show.

  Then, all of a sudden, the image of Coach Vinson popped into my head – a vision that had nothing to do with volleyball. I tried to shake it loose. I didn't want to think about him. Why was my mind suddenly wandering in this direction?

  I forced the thoughts of him out of my head, finished off my salad, and trudged off to the bathroom for a nice, hot, relaxing bath. Tomorrow was another day, and all I could do was the same thing I'd been doing up to this point: face it with my head held high and work my ass off.

  Chapter Four

  Wade

  I felt like the first practice had gone pretty well. I'd gotten a feel for how good the team was as a whole and was beginning to get a feel for how talented the individual players were.

  Chief among these was Eryn Barnett. The woman was as perplexing as she was beautiful. But with that aside, I couldn't believe she had been excluded from the starting lineup for so long. Then again, I couldn’t believe a lot of how things had been run on this team before.

  But all of that was about to change. There wouldn't be any unfairness or taking bribes on my watch. I was here to set everything straight and make sure everything went by the book.

  I walked out onto the court and blasted a short, shrill note through my whistle, putting an end to the girls' warm-up and beckoning them all over to me.

  “All right, ladies,” I shouted, “practice officially begins now! Gather round. Today, we're going to start off with some exercises, so put the balls away for the moment. These are not for the faint of heart.

  “Most are going to focus on getting your core as strong as it can be because if you're driving that ball from your core – and I mean really driving it from your core – you're going to have the power you need to blast it like a missile when the time comes to spike it. And, of course, having a strong core is also needed for moving around, changing direction fast, diving, and blocking. So, pretty much every aspect of this game.