by Tawny Weber
Damn, he was one helluva guy.
As if echoing that sentiment, Aiden strode through the doors. Tall and slender with an easy expression and an intellectual air, the guy looked more like a teacher than a SEAL.
Until he got close enough to see his eyes.
“Jack, good to see you.” In jeans and a t-shirt proclaiming him a fan of Wossomatta U, the other man’s smile was as easy as his demeanor.
“Hi, Aiden,” Jack greeted, standing to shake hands. “Thanks for meeting me, especially when you’re home on leave. I appreciate it. You want coffee or anything?”
Proving that he came here a lot, Aiden simply glanced over at the waitress, lifted one finger then pointed it at the booth.
He didn’t wait for her nod of acknowledgement, just slid into the seat and waited for Jack to do the same.
“So what’s up? You didn’t drive all this way for coffee.”
Leave it to Aiden to get right to the point. Jack, however, wasn’t quite ready to join him there.
“It’s only an hour from San Francisco,” he said with a shrug.
Aiden’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. Still, Jack actually saw the man come to attention.
“I thought you’d planned to be in Coronado by now. Didn’t you say something about acclimating before SQT?”
“Yeah.” Jack nodded, feeling like a ten year old about to confess some horrible crime. “About that. I changed my mind.”
“Is that so?” The tone was easy. Friendly, even.
It made the hairs on the back of Jack’s neck stand on end. All of the excuses, the clever buildup of an explanation, everything, they simply disappeared from Jack’s mind. Leaving only the bald, ugly truth.
“I think I’m dropping out,” Jack confessed, his eyes on his cup. He waited for the explosion, finally looking up when it didn’t come.
“You’re thinking of dropping out of SEAL training? Or of leaving the military altogether?” At Jack’s surprised look, Aiden shrugged. “Just want to clarify where you’re at with it all. I mean, I know you like military life, but you went through, what? Eight months or so trying to overcome your motion sickness challenges. You resigned your Army commission, joined the Navy and went through BUD/S. Did I get all that right?”
There weren’t a lot of men who could make Jack feel small, even fewer who’d ever made him feel stupid. But in that one, single query, Aiden Masters had made him feel both.
Still...
“You got it all right. I’m just not sure I did.” Jack went silent as the waitress delivered Aiden’s coffee. After she’d left, he stayed silent. Because he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“So what happened?” Aiden asked after a few moments. “Did you fall down and bump your head?”
“No,” Jack said, looking up with a half laugh.
“So... You’ve fallen in love?”
Aiden just laughed at the gaping look of shock on Jack’s face.
“There are only a couple of things I’ve ever seen that seriously screw with a guy’s head once he’s made the team. It’s pretty much a simple process of elimination.” Aiden tilted his head, giving Jack the go ahead to fill him in.
The waitress refilled their cups twice before Jack wound it down.
“So that’s about it,” he finally finished. “That’s how I met Cari, how I feel about her. I know the timing sucks and I know I have priorities. I didn’t plan it this way. But I do love her.”
Aiden stared into his cup for so long, Jack almost craned his neck to see what was in there. Then the other man met his gaze again and sighed.
“Here’s the thing, Jack. If you become a SEAL you’re going to work your ass off. You think you know now, after Hell Week. But you have no real idea. It’ll take all you’ve got, then it’ll take more. It’ll put demands on your body, on your psyche and on your life that simply don’t let up.”
And here it came. The go ahead and quit advice. Even though he’d been looking for it, expecting it, a wave of misery still poured over Jack.
Because, dammit, as much as he wanted Cari, he wanted his career, too.
“Yeah, I hear you,” he muttered.
“And I think that once you’re in the middle of it all, once you’re facing the hugeness of the demands and responsibilities, that you’re man enough to simply suck it up and make it work.” Before Jack could puzzle that out, Aiden continued. “Knowing you have someone in your life who loves you while you’re doing it might make it all a little easier.”
Either the coffee house had been invaded by a swarm of bees or there was a buzzing in Jack’s ears.
“What?” He shook his head, tried to re-computed Aiden’s words, but they didn’t change. “You’re telling me that you think I should still do it? What about the rest of what you said?”
“What about it?” Aiden shrugged. “You knew all of that when you decided to become a SEAL. You think being in love, being in an important relationship changes any of that?””
“I figured it made it harder,” Jack muttered.
“Yeah. It does. And, like I said, it makes it easier. So you’d better make damned sure you love her.” Aiden leaned forward, his scholarly face serious as he stared at Jack. “Not because of what you’re putting on the line. Because she’ll be putting it down there, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re going to be asking for a lot. A lot of trust. A lot of understanding. You’re asking her to accept long separations, minimal communication on certain issues and to live with the knowledge that if she figures you’re always in danger she’s probably right.”
A deep frown creasing his brow, Jack slowly nodded. Because right there, Aiden had nailed his real fear.
“How do you do that? How do you ask a woman to go through all of that? Loving her, that’s supposed to be enough to make up for all of the rest?”
“By promising that even though you can only be there about half the time, that you’ll show her enough love to make up for that.” Aiden paused, the look in his eyes the same one Jack often saw when the man talked about his wife. “Your commitment to her won’t be any less because you’re not around. So you have to show it enough when you are to make up the difference.”
“Just like that?” It sounded impossible.
“Yeah. Just like that.”
And Jack had to admit, he felt a hell of a lot better facing the impossible than he’d felt earlier.
Call to Action: Chapter Eight
Hefting three canvas bags over one shoulder and her purse over the other, Cari scowled at her cellphone. Checking and walking at the same time, she confirmed that she had, indeed, texted Jack three hours ago. And two hours ago. She’d left a message an hour ago and texted him and Rico twenty minutes ago.
Where the hell was he?
How could she tell him she wasn’t going to see him anymore if she couldn’t even find the man?
Shoving her phone in her purse, she turned into her doorway.
And almost screamed.
“Hey,” Jack greeted, his hands on her arms the only thing keeping her from falling over. He caressed his way to her shoulders, but before he could bend down to kiss her, Cari found her feet. And used them to step away.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. Especially when she’d texted so many times to cancel.
“I thought we had a dinner date,” Jack said with a puzzled smile before taking her grocery bags. “What’s all this?”
“Groceries.” She stared at the canvas bags blankly, then frowning, admitted, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to skip dinner.”
“No problem. I’ll help you put these away and we can figure out something else.” His smile was just a little wicked. “I’m open to changing plans.”
How about cancelling plans?
But Cari couldn’t bring herself to ask if he was open to that. Instead she stepped around Jack, and pretending her heart wasn’t breaking, unlocked the door, bumped it
open with her shoulder and strode inside.
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” she said when they reached the kitchen.
“I guess I forgot my cellphone,” he said, setting the bags on the counter. “I had to talk with a friend up by Sonoma. Traffic was ugly getting back.”
She tossed her purse on the table, then shoved her fingers into her hair. She’d been trying to reach him for hours, so why hadn’t she figured out what to say?
“Is everything okay?” she asked, for lack of any brilliant ideas on how to start the let’s end things conversation. Why did he have to look so good? How was she supposed to think reasonably when all she wanted to do was throw herself in his arms and nibble on his chest?
Hoping if her hands were busy, she’d keep them off of him, she started unpacking the bags. Ice cream, ice cream and another pint of ice cream. Jarred hot fudge, strawberries and two bananas. By the time she’d added cookies, chips and soda to the haul, she was feeling a little embarrassed. And yes, just a little nauseous.
“Whoa. That’s a lot of ice cream,” Jack observed.
“It’s my getting over you recipe,” she heard herself say. “A triple chocolate fudge sundae with caramel sauce and whipped cream starter is the only way I know to start the process of getting over a bad breakup.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Cari almost slapped her hands over her mouth.
Oh, God. She hadn’t meant to put it that way.
She’d been freaking out ever since Gina told her Jack’s news. Once or twice between freaking out, she’d tried to figure out how to keep Jack from ruining his life. She just had to get him to believe that she wasn’t interested in anything more than a few days of great sex. She’d make sure he knew how important she thought his being a SEAL was. And she had to make sure she was convincing, and to keep it sweet and light.
“I know we’re ending tonight, but I’m really okay with it.” She put on her brightest smile, trying to look like she didn’t want to cry. “We’ve had a lot of fun, but you’re leaving and as much as I’ll miss the great sex, I’m still glad.”
“You’re glad,” he repeated tonelessly.
“You’re going to be a SEAL, Jack. That’s so important, so awesomely important.”
“Cari—”
Suddenly desperate to stop him from saying anything, horrified that he’d tell her he was giving up his dream, she interrupted, hurrying forward to take both of his hands in hers.
“I’m so proud of you, Jack,” she said earnestly. “Not just that you’re good enough to be a SEAL, although that’s so amazing. But because you’re strong enough to want to be one. To dedicate your life to your country like that.”
“You believe that?” he asked slowly, his eyes narrowed and intense on her face. “You think it’s that important?”
Oh, it hurt. But Cari smiled anyway.
“Yes. I think you following your dream, achieving your goal and being a SEAL is very, very important.” Her smile grew brittle. “Nothing is more important than that, Jack. Nothing.”
“Actually, I agree.”
What?
Cari scowled.
Not because she’d wanted him to argue. But, dammit, had she gotten herself all worked up for nothing?
“Earlier today, I’d planned on telling you I was leaving the SEAL’s training.”
Nope. Cari’s hands fisted tight at her sides. She’d gotten worked up for very good reasons.
“But then I realized a few things that had me changing my mind.”
“You’re not leaving the SEAL’s?” she asked faintly, trying to keep up.
“No. But I don’t want to leave you, either.”
Her heart danced, even as tears filled her eyes. Cari wanted to throw herself at him. She wanted to do a happy dance across the kitchen counter. She wanted to say yes.
But she couldn’t.
“I know it’s not ideal,” Jack continued as if reading her mind. You have to stay here where your career is. And I have to go where mine is. But we’re strong people. Determined and focused. If we want to make it work between us, I believe that we can.”
“Work?” What?
Too shocked to help herself, Cari tugged off the lid of one of the ice cream pints, grabbed a spoon from the drainer and dug out a bite. As the cold caramelized fudge melted down her throat, she shook her head at him.
“I don’t understand.”
“What we’ve started is important. I think it could be even more important. I want us to give it time. To work at overcoming the obstacles. To see if we can make it work.”
Standing there in jeans and a black tee shirt, Jack looked at her as if he were ready and willing to place the entire world right here, at her feet.
Cari’s heart melted.
“You want us to be together?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “I want us to be together.”
“Oh, wow.” She didn’t even realize she’d let the spoon drop to her side until she felt the cold splat of ice cream hit her bare foot.
“Cari, I love you. I want to give us a chance to build a life together.” He took the ice cream from her, setting it on the counter, then pulled her into his arms.
“I love you, too,” she admitted, her hands cupping his cheeks. How was it possible that in less than a week, he’d become the most important thing in her world? Was it possible to make it work like he wanted? To overcome all of those obstacles, and jump all of the hurdles they hadn’t even considered yet.
Did it matter? No, Cari realized. All that mattered was that they loved each other.
“I should put the ice cream away,” she murmured, her mind already on what she wanted to do with him—to him—next.
“Actually, I have a few ideas for that ice cream,” he said just before he took her mouth.
Mmm.
True love and ice cream.
Cari melted into Jack’s arms and wondered if it got any better than this.
—The End—
A SEAL’S TEMPTATION
~Excerpt~
by Tawny Weber
A SEAL’s Temptation: Chapter One
“Report, O’Brian. Did you complete your mission?”
Petty Officer Shane O’Brian stood at attention. Shoulders back, chin high, eyes ahead.
“Yes, sir,” he barked. “Completed with resources to spare.”
“Is that so. And at any time did the target become aware of your mission?”
“Hell, no.” Eyes dancing, Shane grinned. “He’s as clueless as a newborn. Which, I’ve gotta tell you, is totally weird. Of all people, you’d think he’d be suspicious.”
“Nice job.” Shane’s commander, Mitch Donovan, slapped him on the back before dropping onto the couch. Resting his booted foot on the knee of his camouflage fatigues, Mitch laughed. “Gabriel’s a wily SOB, but there’s no way he’d expect an engagement party. Especially since the bride-to-be doesn’t even know they’re getting engaged.”
“He’s going to be so pissed,” Shane observed, handing Mitch the list of what had and hadn’t been done so far.
“That you accessed his private information, evaluated his actions, went behind his back to report said information and actions, then compounded it by bringing multiple people into it in a way that will, when it comes out, be a huge slap in the face?” Mitch jutted out his chin and considered that, then nodded. “Yup. Seriously pissed.”
“I can’t wait.” Laughing, Shane dropped into the chair opposite Mitch. Like most everything else in the apartment, the brown furniture was butt ugly, but it was comfortable. Shane figured that’s all a person could ask for with base housing.
Both he and Mitch, along with their friend Gabriel—better known as Romeo to the SEAL team—had got the PCS—permanent change of station—to the Coronado base a year ago. The three of them had bunked together until his buddies had hooked their perfect women. After they’d moved out, Shane hadn’t seen any point in looking for other quarters—or in replacing the butt-
ugly furniture.
“You’re sure he’s going to propose?”
Shane simply raised one brow. They didn’t call him Scavenger for nothing. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t find. Supplies, enemies, information.
“Right,” Mitch said, shaking his head. “Of course you’re sure. Which means he has no clue what you’re planning.”
“That’d be we, not me,” Shane pointed out. “And yeah, I’m sure. Nobody expects a party for getting engaged. Married, having a kid, okay. But for volunteering to hook on a ball and chain?” He gave a pitying shake of his head. Not over Gabriel landing Tessa, or that Mitch was newly married with a baby due any day. His friends had scored some great women.
But Shane figured the odds of military guys, SEALs especially, making it work long-term? Of finding a woman who got what they did, was okay living their life with a man who answered to Uncle Sam, put his life on the line on a regular basis and kept 90 percent of what he did to himself? Pretty much zilch.
Hell, he’d experienced issues himself in his family alone. His own mother was so pissed about his career, she refused to acknowledge it. To keep her happy, the entire family pretended he was a traveling salesman. It’d been funny for a while, but over the past couple of years it’d started getting to him. He’d got to the point that he rarely went back home to Little Lake, Idaho, and since nobody acknowledged his career, none of the family had ever visited him here in Southern California.
Shane frowned, taking the list from Mitch. He was better off without any more emotional crap in his life.
Maybe his buddies would do better. But he doubted it. Mitch had actually walked away from a shot to join the elite Special Mission Unit, DEVGRU. Sure, he said it was because he preferred training and wanted to stay with his team, but given that it’d happened about the same time as he met Livi, Shane had his doubts. And now Romeo was getting ready to pop the question. He’d already started making noises about extended training, taking on things that would keep him stateside instead of hot zones.
