I was taking a breather, hands over my head while I tried to drag air into my lungs, when I saw him. He was jogging towards me; well of course he had to jog towards me as he was running along the path just like I was. It was dark so I really couldn’t make out any solid features until he was right in front of me.
“Good evening ma’am, nice night for a run isn’t it?” He stopped jogging to greet me and I almost forgot how to speak for a second as I took him in. He was shirtless in the forty-degree weather and wore only fatigue pants and boots. He was tall, as are most SEALs, and very well-built with defined muscle. His skin was golden from many jogs under the sun, and his dark brown hair was in a standard crew cut. His features were traditionally handsome, right down to the angular jaw and cleft chin. To say he was gorgeous would definitely be an understatement.
“Uh—um, yes it is…nice and cool,” I stammered. I really needed to pull myself together. I had a hard time trying to form words though as my eyes kept gravitating between his chest, his soft looking lips, and his bright hazel eyes…though they were more tan than hazel.
“You know they won’t let you past a certain point along the path, you’ll need clearance as the SEAL facilities are just around the bend there.” I glanced behind him and took in the density of the trees on either side of the path. I should have realized I was getting closer to the SEAL campus as trees replaced the wide-open views of lit buildings, the marina, and ocean.
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed. I was kind of preoccupied,” I said, recovering from my earlier stuttering mishap. He gave me a knowing smile which made his face that much more handsome.
“I know what you mean, a good jog always puts me in the zone. I’ll just keep going and going if I’m not careful.” He chuckled and I almost got lost in the sound. Really, why was he so dazzling? “I’m Michael Lawson, SEAL Team Thirteen officer,” he introduced himself formally and took my hand to shake.
“I’m Lina—Lina Ross, Medical Officer,” I replied succinctly. Michael smiled at me as if he was pleased I gave him my name. It was only common courtesy. Then I realized that he said he was a SEAL. My eyes widened and my heart picked up its pace. This was what I was after! A Pride Team member was standing right in front of me…and was still holding onto my hand as a matter of fact.
“It’s nice to meet you Lina. Would you like to have some company while you finish your jog? You know it isn’t safe to be alone out here so late at night. Even if we are on a naval base,” Michael said with mild disapproval to his tone. This was turning out better than I thought; he wanted to jog with me. I wondered how I would bring up my many questions about his being some sort of lion shifter.
“Sure, that’s very gentlemanly of you Michael,” I smiled up at him and he finally let my hand go. I turned around and jogged with him back towards the start of the path. By the time we got to the beginning of the trail I had successfully gotten enough exercise to last the rest of the month.
“You know, it would actually count as training if I carried you back to where you’re housed,” Michael said with clear humor in his voice. He was making fun of my being out of shape.
“You know Michael, I’m one of the few doctors who works in the nearest clinic to your compound there. If anything happens, God forbid, you wouldn’t want to have had insulted the closest trauma surgeon.” Michael actually laughed at my warning. I rolled my eyes and smiled reluctantly.
“It isn’t my fault that you’re out of shape Lina—I mean ma’am. Wouldn’t want to be too presumptuous with the nearest trauma surgeon that might have my life in her hands one day,” Michael teased. I inclined my head regally as if he was absolutely right and Michael laughed again. He had a nice sounding laugh. It reminded me of hot chocolate, or maybe honey—smooth and soothing.
“So where are you from Michael?” I asked nonchalantly. It would be too indelicate if I started asking him the hard questions first.
“I’m from right here in Virginia,” he replied. Well that was anti-climactic. I figured he’d be from somewhere exotic, though he did have a real American accent, so it was hard to doubt he was telling the truth.
“Does your family live in the state as well?” I asked curiously, maybe they came from somewhere exotic and had moved to the US with their family of lion shifters.
“Yes ma’am they do. Though it’s just my parents and baby sister here, my grandparents moved to the US from South Africa. So most of my extended family lives there.” I hid my smug smile, I was right, and I was getting somewhere, finally.
“Wow so have you been to South Africa at all?” I was genuinely curious about anything having to do with travel. One of the reasons I joined the Navy was so that I could travel and experience the different cultures out in the world.
“I have a few times. In fact once my leave comes around I’ll be travelling there with my family to visit,” he answered, obliviously. Michael really had no idea that I had seen two lion shifters near their compound. He was most likely one of the two SEALs I had witnessed and I was sure I would find out.
*****
We reached my car, which I parked at the nearest commissary building to the SEAL campus. Before I unlocked my car door I paused and looked up at Michael. I hadn’t asked him nearly half of the questions I had planned to ask yet.
“So do you have any plans for lunch tomorrow Lina?” I thought about his question for a moment. “Come on now, don’t break my heart ma’am,” he said. I realized that I really liked him calling me ma’am. It sent a small thrill up my spine every time he did.
“I don’t, why do you ask?” I gave him a coy smile and Michael grinned at me almost predatorily.
“I’d like to take you for lunch if that’s okay with you?” He was nothing if not respectful and that’s just something every sailor had to learn early on. I pursed my lips and thought about his request. Michael didn’t seem put off by my toying with him, in fact his eyes had brightened and he took a step closer to me. I took a step back, but was stopped by my car.
“Yeah I think lunch is okay with me. You taking me isn’t so bad either,” I said with a smirk. Michael chuckled and curled a lock of my tousled hair around his finger. My hair was pulled into a ponytail and his gesture forced me to keep eye contact with him. Suddenly the air felt charged and I was drawn into him and all I could think about was how his lips would feel against mine.
“It’s a date then Lina,” was his simple response before he bent down to kiss me softly on the cheek. The small contact awakened goose bumps on my skin and my cheek felt as if it had been branded. Michael let loose my hair before taking a step back so I could get into my car. While I drove the short distance from the naval base to my house I wondered how he’d find me if I didn’t give him my cell phone number. Well I did tell him that I worked in the clinic nearest the SEAL campus.
I was preoccupied with my thoughts as I got home and made my way up to the bathroom for a shower. How would I bring up the fact that I knew Pride Team’s secret? Would Michael have to kill me because I knew? Was it even a good idea to confront him about what I witnessed? Well if we have lunch around people tomorrow then I’d definitely ask him. He couldn’t kill me out in broad daylight.
I showered and then got ready for bed. Soon after I lay down on my soft mattress though, I realized I was looking forward to tomorrow too much. I would never get any sleep at this rate. I sighed and then tossed and turned for about an hour before my mind finally allowed me to rest.
* * *
I woke up the next day already impatient for my lunch hour to come around. As I got ready for work I realized that I had to come up with an excuse for Dell. We usually had lunch together everyday and I really didn’t know how he felt over my formally rejecting him for a date.
Before getting dressed I glanced in the mirror and saw the same pretty features that attracted guys. Nice tousled dirty blonde hair and big green eyes. Ever since puberty hit and my curves filled out though guys had always told me I was a knockout. Though the guys I always seemed
to attract, the confident ones, were usually a douchebag of some type, and that’s what bred my unusual interest in stringing guys along. Of course there was the type like Wendell, close guy friends who at some point always felt more for me than I wanted them to. I never really had any girlfriends because I could never find anyone genuine enough. Guys on the other hand seemed more down to Earth for the most part, so needless to say I made more friends with guys, but subsequently lost quite a few as well.
I sighed and then shook myself out of my inner reflections so I could focus on getting ready for work. I grabbed a quick breakfast of a Slim Fast bar and yogurt before heading back to base. When I got to the clinic I was almost surprised to see a new SEAL recruit in one of the beds. He was heavily sedated and Dell was resetting the poor guy’s leg. I wondered why the officer had to be brought in for this. Usually the SEALs took care of minor injuries like this on their own. They only came here if it was really serious.
“Hey Lina, can you give me a hand? This guy’s leg is in bad shape. Not only did it pop out of the hip joint, it’s twisted as well.” I hid my wince; we had to get an orthopedist on site for this guy. He was stable so I wondered why Dell wanted to fix him up right away.
“Did you call a specialist?” I asked Dell while quickly stashing my bag at the nurse’s station.
“Yeah, but he can’t get here for another half hour. I’ve seen this before and know a quick method to reset the leg, but it’s going to hurt like hell even if we’ve already got painkillers in him,” Dell explained while he examined the patient’s leg.
“Alright, what do you need me to do?” I asked Dell and he directed how he needed me to hold the patient’s hip. A couple of nurses came over to hold the officer still as Dell quickly and efficiently righted the patient’s leg and popped it into place. The poor guy cursed loudly, but actually stayed still and sat through the pain of it.
Dell prescribed the officer some more pain meds while we waited for the orthopedist to arrive, who could look at his leg to make sure everything was back in place. I almost offered to wheel the officer myself to go get an x-ray, but the nurse whose job it was looked at me menacingly. We really didn’t have enough to do on this side of the base.
“Hey so how about we go get some Chinese for lunch later today. I’ve been craving it for like a week now,” Dell said while looking at me expectantly. I wondered what the hell I could come up with for an excuse. I hadn’t given it much thought last night.
“You know what, I have a doctor’s appointment today during my lunch hour.” That lame excuse just jumped out of my mouth and I was sure Dell would call me out on it.
“A doctor’s appointment?” he asked suspiciously. I nodded and then smirked when I came up with the rest of my excuse.
“Yeah, you know…the wait isn’t as long at the gynecologist’s office in the middle of the day.” Dell’s expression became squeamish and I laughed at him. “You’re such a guy.”
*****
After the initial excitement of the dislocated leg, the rest of the morning went by in agonizing slowness. That SEAL recruit was fine after his leg was put to right and all the orthopedist had to do was get a brace on him and teach him how to use his new pair of crutches.
Usually Dell and I had offsetting lunch breaks, so that there was always one of us in the building. We usually ordered in and ate lunch whenever it got there. Since I had come up with that brilliant excuse I actually had to leave the building so Dell wouldn’t grow suspicious.
As I stepped outside I saw Michael walking up. He was in standard black military cargo pants and a plain, dark blue, form fitting athletic top. The entire package that was Michael Lawson was simply delicious. I smiled at him politely in greeting and Michael walked right up to me to pull me in a close embrace.
“It’s good to see you again Lina. How are you today?” Michael further surprised me by taking my hand and leading the way to wherever we were having lunch.
“Um, I’m good Michael, how about you?” I asked, making small talk. We exchanged pleasantries until we got to one of the Subways near the air base. Michael paid for my sandwich and chips as well as his, and then we found a rather secluded table outside.
“So tell me Michael, do you like being a SEAL?” I asked innocently enough. He chuckled and then shook his head to himself as if he’d heard this question a million times.
“I love it. I like a challenge, and there’s nothing more challenging I don’t think. Plus it gives me the excuse I need to stay in shape I guess.” I smiled; he had just given me a perfect opportunity for my questioning.
“How often do you exercise?” I took a bite of my sandwich while he explained his crazy fitness regimen and his training rigors along with the rest of his team.
“So out of all that, do you like to run the most?” Another innocent question and Michael was still unsuspecting.
“No, actually my favorite form of exercise is much more intimate and requires a woman,” Michael quipped. I hadn’t been expecting that abrupt veer in conversation. My eyes widened and he laughed at my expression. “I’m kidding, I’m not like some man-whore douche bag I swear. But yeah I love to run, it just clears the mind you know?” I took a relieved breath, thank goodness he wasn’t trying to make me his next lay or something. Well actually…I kind of hoped we did make it that far. It would be a shame not to have a taste of Michael.
“So you don’t…sleep with a lot of women?” The conversation had taken a turn and I was briefly distracted from my intentions. I wanted to hear his answer.
“My job doesn’t allow for much attachment and I only sleep with a woman if I really have feelings for her. So no. Then again things could be different if I chose to date women who came through the naval base,” was his simple answer. I found it crazy that he didn’t have an entire host of lovers. Wherever he went I’m sure he caught attention from women.
“What about you? Someone as gorgeous as yourself must have a trail of broken hearts in her wake.” Michael smirked at me almost knowingly and I took a bit of offense from him. Just because I was attractive didn’t mean I had left a bunch of broken-hearted men in my wake. Even if it was true it was almost stereotypical for him to immediately assume. “Oh come on, don’t give me that look. I could tell from last night you like to toy with men who are interested in you; you have heartbreaker written all over you.” I rolled my eyes and tried not to smile.
“Anyway does it matter what my past love life looks like?” I said.
Michael nodded fervently. “Well, it lets me know how I have to handle you.”
He smirked at me and my jaw dropped.
“Handle me?” I didn’t know if I was actually offended or turned on by his comment. I was going to go with the latter.
“Yup, precisely. You like to play cat and mouse…I can assure you Lina you’ve enticed a pretty big cat.” Michael’s eyes were both promising and predatory. A thrill ran through me at his words and a dull, pleasurable ache started up between my legs. I wanted him, and we had only been on one date! Slowly I realized what he had said; he called himself a pretty big cat. Perhaps I should just come out and say it.
“Can we go for a quick walk before I have to get back to work?” I asked him. He nodded. We started walking back towards the clinic slowly and I wondered how exactly to come out and tell him.
*****
“Can I ask you something Michael, I’m just going to be straight with you,” I paused for him to reply. He told me go ahead and ask so I took a deep breath and just blurted it out, “Are you a lion shifter?” Michael almost tripped when my question registered.
“H—how…would you—I mean why would you ask me that?” He looked at me intently and pulled me to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. There was no one around on this stretch of road and I started to get a little nervous. I needed witnesses around in case he decided I shouldn’t know what I knew and that I had to die because of it.
“Well a few years ago, in twenty-twelve, I saw two guys from Team Thirte
en jogging along the outskirts of the base and just before they left the outer limits…they turned into lions,” I explained. Michael glanced around, still no one around us in either direction. “You aren’t going to…kill me are you?” He sighed and then shook his head. Well that was reassuring.
“No, of course not. It’s just…we’re usually so careful. Why didn’t you say anything back then? Have you said anything?” I shook my head adamantly.
“No, no…I thought I’d be institutionalized if I said anything.” He breathed a sigh of relief and then laced his fingers with mine before we resumed walking.
“So you’re not…freaked out or anything?” he asked. I shook my head and then laughed a bit nervously.
“I mean…I had over three years to come to terms with what I saw so there’s nothing more for me to be freaked out over…is there?” Michael smiled at me devilishly, flashing his teeth and all.
“Well now that I know you’ve learned our secret and still accept me…I really have to have you,” was his simple reply. My eyes widened and his grin remained. “You aren’t scared of me are you?” his question made me scoff.
“Why would I be? You already said you wouldn’t kill me,” I told him. Michael laughed and then I saw the clinic coming into view.
“Good so…you wouldn’t mind having dinner with me tonight?” I quirked my eyebrow at him. He was already asking me on another date? Well when you know what you want I guess you just go for it.
“You know, I didn’t get that much sleep last night. I thought I’d just head to bed early tonight,” I was toying with him and he knew it.
“So how about I have an early night right along with you?” We reached the front of the clinic’s building and I shrugged dispassionately. “You do realize I’m just going to keep after you right? You might as well give up the game now Lina. As far as I’m concerned…you’re mine.”
Romance: Menage Romance: The French Quarter Hostages (Paranormal Action Shapeshifter MFM Bear Shifter Romance) (Fantasy BBW Taboo Interracial Love Triangle Werebear Mates Short Stories) Page 53
