Hot SEAL, Undercover Groom (SEALs in Paradise)

by Maryann Jordan

  “You were saying Tennessee is marriage-friendly,” she rushed, her smile tight.

  Choking back a sigh, he nodded. “Yes. They make it easy for couples to elope. No blood tests needed. No waiting. As long as both parties are eighteen years or older, provide a Social Security card, driver’s license, or birth certificate, then they can get a marriage license. The website says the marriage license can often take only ten minutes or less.”

  Her jaw dropped open. “And they do that all there at the wedding chapel?”

  Shaking his head, he said, “No. But there’s a licensing office in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville. Obviously, there are a lot of others in the state, but that’s where most people go who want to get married in Gatlinburg.”

  “I know we’re not going through with the ceremony, but won’t we have to present paperwork…”

  “I asked Nancy about that already, and Mom said she’d take care of it. I guess they can come up with some false records so that it’ll look official. Probably fake birth certificates and ID.”

  Her brow crinkled again, and he was starting to recognize the expression she made when she was deep in thought. “What are you thinking?”

  “Well, I suppose we can go in the first time to find out everything we need, and I’m sure they’ll try to sell us on whatever wedding packages they offer.”

  A sliver of excitement began to move through him, recognizing the rush that comes through planning a mission. This didn’t compare to the work he did as a SEAL, but after a month of boring recuperation, he was ready to strategize anything, even a non-wedding at a chapel with a ridiculous name. “That’s what I think, also. While you do a lot of oohing and ahhing, draw the employee’s attention towards you, and I’ll see what I can find out. “

  Eyes wide, she said, “You can go to the men’s room, or I could excuse myself. That would give us a perfect opportunity to take a look at their office, perhaps.”

  Barking out a laugh, he said, “You just might be a natural at this covert operation, Lynn.”

  The waitress came and removed their dishes, boxed up Lynn’s half sandwich, and left the check, all without Nolan even noticing. Lynn twisted to reach inside her purse, and he said, “No way. My treat.”

  She opened her mouth but then snapped it closed again. Her lips curved slightly, and she nodded. “Thank you. Next time it can be my treat.”

  The excitement he felt expanded as he thought of another time with her. Standing, he placed his hand lightly on the small of her back as he guided her toward the parking lot. “Before we plan our trip to the wedding chapel, we really need to spend a little more time getting to know each other.” Her brow scrunched again as she cocked her head to the side, and he rushed, “We don’t want to arouse suspicion when we go in to talk to them and not look like a true couple. We should at least know the basics about each other.”

  “Oh, okay. I guess you’re right.”

  He started to say that he could get with her that evening, but fatigue was setting in. Hating that he was not in peak condition, he forced the scowl from his face. “How about tomorrow evening? I can take you to dinner?” She shook her head slowly, and he thought she was going to refuse.

  Instead, she said, “I guess that would be okay, but restaurants are not a very good place to have private conversations.”

  “Can I come to your place?” Seeing her blink in surprise, he rushed, “I know that seems very forward, but if you came over to my parents’ house, my mom wouldn’t be able to stay out of our conversations. But, if it’s not a good idea…”

  “No, actually, that’s perfect. I can fix dinner and we can go over any personal information that would help us with our pretense of being a real couple.”

  “I hate for you to go to any trouble. We could order takeout.”

  “That’s okay. I like to cook and cooking for one is no fun.” She shrugged. “It’ll be nice to fix dinner for someone who appreciates food.”

  “Sounds good. Let me get your phone number and address.” They quickly traded phone numbers, and she rattled off her address which he entered into his phone as well.

  Reaching for the handle on her car, she looked over her shoulder, her gaze pensive. “This whole thing really is kind of a nutsy idea, isn’t it?”

  He chuckled while nodding. “Yeah, no denying it. But honestly, I need to do something besides go crazy wondering when I can rejoin my team, and this should be easy. A visit to the wedding chapel to get the lay of the land and then another visit where we manage to sneak you into the office so you can make a copy of the records. In and out. The fact that it’s in the Smokies is just a nice bonus.”

  Her lips curved slightly, but her eyes held the specter of doubt as she offered a slight nod. She climbed inside her car and tossed him a wave. Throwing his hand up in return, he watched her drive away. He settled behind the steering wheel of his SUV and headed down the road, his mind rolling. What he told her was right. It should be an easy-to-plan, in-and-out mission. And the idea of spending more time with Lynn stirred his interest—and his dick. She’s now old enough, but damn, no way. I still can’t go there. Lynn is no quick fuck, and as soon as I’m able, I’m back with my team.

  Driving home, he had a smile on his face just at the thought of spending more time with her. Once there, his dad was out in the yard, but his mom met him in the kitchen.

  “How did it go with Lynn?” she asked.

  “It went fine. We talked a little bit about what we think we should do, and as crazy as Nancy’s plan is, I think it’ll work. I’m going over to Lynn’s house tomorrow for dinner, and we are going to spend a little time getting to know each other so that when we make our trip to the chapel, we can seem like a real couple.”

  His mom bounced on her toes, her eyes bright with excitement. “Oh, what a wonderful idea! I’ve always liked Lynn, and I think you’d make the cutest couple.”

  Settling into a chair, his brow lowered as he looked at her. “Mom, don’t get any ideas. She’s a beautiful, smart woman, but as soon as I’m able, I’m joining my team again.”

  Her face fell slightly, and she argued, “Nolan, just because you’re a SEAL doesn’t mean that you can’t have a relationship. There’s no reason you can’t have a wife.”

  “I’m not looking for a wife now! Hell, I’m not even looking for a girlfriend now. To be honest, I’d consider a fling, but Lynn is not fling material.”

  “Oh, my goodness, she’s absolutely not fling material.”

  Shaking his head, he dropped his chin. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

  “Son, I’m just looking out for you. You’ve already said that you’re not going to stay in the Navy forever. I think you ought to be in the market for a good woman that would be a perfect match for you. Personally, I think Lynn fits the bill. As you say, she’s beautiful, smart, owns her own business. She’s also loyal, dedicated, and I happen to know she used to carry a torch for you.”

  Jerking his head back up, his eyes widened. “Carry a torch? Seriously, Mom? Who says, ‘carry a torch’ anymore?”

  “Don’t argue semantics with me!” She plopped her hands on her hips and glared. “I know that when she was in high school, she absolutely adored you.”

  “First of all, I know that, too. Second of all, high school was years ago, Mom. I hardly think that what was happening ten years ago means anything now.”

  His mom sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I just think that as you’re getting to know Lynn better for this scheme that Nancy’s concocted, you should spend time actually getting to know her. You might find that she’s someone you can be really, truly interested in.” With that, she turned and went back into the kitchen, leaving him sitting alone.

  He wanted to be irritated with her, but the fact was he’d already had the same thoughts. He tried to convince himself that he didn’t want to cause her or his sister any grief, but the reality hit him that after having a taste of Lynn, it would hurt to leave
her. Shaking his head, he dismissed the idea. With me rejoining my team, the timing is wrong. Damn, with Lynn, the timing is always wrong.

  5

  Lynn wiped her palms on her capris for the hundredth time as she waited for Nolan to arrive. Glancing down, she realized the front of her pants were beginning to get crinkled. Maybe I should change clothes. Refusing that idea, she was not sure she had any more clothes she could go through considering she had spent an hour trying to decide what to wear. A dress—even a sundress—was too fussy and looked as though she were trying to gain his attention. Yoga pants felt too casual. He had seen her in her professional clothes and she didn’t want to wear those for a casual dinner at her house. Finally, deciding on capris, flat sandals with a flower on top, and a cute blouse with little cap sleeves, that was the winning outfit.

  Nolan Bell is coming to dinner. Looking into the bathroom mirror, she stared at her reflection. I’m an adult, professional woman. I’m smart, educated, and run a business. So why the hell am I freaking out about this? Her hands grabbed onto the edge of the sink, and she dropped her chin to her chest. Sighing heavily, she knew the answer to her question.

  Because this is Nolan. I fell in love with him when I was about ten years old. I wrote his name in my notebooks. His sister and I planned that one day we’d be true sisters when I married him. And then I threw myself at him like the silly teenager I was, and when he moved away, I figured I’d never see him again.

  Lifting her chin, she stared at her reflection once again. I can do this. It’s been many years and a lot of water under the bridge. This is just Nancy’s older brother. We’re going to do this job for Nancy and then that will be it. Her lips curved slightly as a new thought hit her. Maybe after this, it won’t be so awkward.

  Her heart had pounded when he stepped into the doorway of Nancy’s office yesterday and it hit her that he was supposed to be her pretend husband. Emotions had crashed into her, each fighting for dominance. Embarrassment over her actions when she was a teenager. Longing for someone she could never have. Anger at Nancy because her friend knew how much she had loved her brother when they were younger. Even Rita’s strange delight at the situation had not seemed to penetrate.

  The oven timer went off just as the front doorbell rang, jarring her into action. Shit! Not wanting to leave him waiting, she rushed to the front door and threw it open. Before he had a chance to greet her, she turned and ran back to the kitchen and yelled over her shoulder, “Come on in! I don’t want the dinner to burn!”

  As she bent to pull out the barbecue chicken, she winced at her un-welcoming welcome. Placing the dish on top of the stove, she slammed the oven door shut and turned, jumping as she realized Nolan was right behind her. His eyes jumped up to her face, but for a second she could have sworn he’d been staring at her ass. Maybe I should’ve worn the dress. “Oh, you scared me. I was just thinking that I offered a very rude greeting. Actually, hello! Um… did you have any problem finding my apartment?”

  A slow smile spread over his face as he reached behind his neck and squeezed. “No, it was easy to find. And don’t worry about the greeting, it was fine.”

  “Okay. Um… good.”

  Time seemed to stretch out between them in awkward silence. Her gaze took him in, wishing she could find something about his appearance that was not attractive. Something that would make it easy to be glad that she had not ended up with him. Perhaps a large wart on the end of his nose. But, alas, no. He was every bit as gorgeous as he had been when he was younger, only more so with added maturity. Always tall, his body had bulked out, she was sure with all the exercise he got as a SEAL. She remembered he was one of the earlier boys to begin shaving, and even now his five o’clock shadow gave his face a devil-may-care appearance. And his whiskey-colored eyes—staring straight at me!

  “What would you like to drink? I have iced tea, beer, or wine.”

  “Beer would be good. Whatever kind you have is fine.”

  Glad to have something to do, she turned to the refrigerator and pulled out two longneck bottles. Popping off the caps, she handed both to him. “You can put these on the table, and I’ll get our dinner.” She had already set the plates and cutlery on the table and soon placed the barbecue chicken, coleslaw, and mac & cheese in front of them. Earlier, she had wondered if fixing dinner was a good plan but now was glad they had something to focus on to ease into their conversation.

  Sitting at her small table, she watched as he dug into the meal, his groans of appreciation causing her to relax.

  “This is delicious. You really can cook.”

  “It’s not fancy, but I like homemade when I have the time.”

  “It’s as good as any I’ve had at a barbeque restaurant. Hell, better than most!”

  “Thank you, but I have a feeling that after some of your meals in the Navy, anything would taste good.”

  He chuckled while nodding. “I’ve had some pretty bad meals, that’s for sure. And times where I was just glad we had something to eat.”

  By the time they finished her homemade apple pie and he had scraped the plate on his second helping, their small talk had become easier, and they worked side-by-side washing off the plates and putting away the leftovers. Grabbing two more beers, she led him over to the sofa where she’d placed a couple of small spiral notebooks and pens on the coffee table.

  Sitting on one end, she twisted her body so that her leg was tucked under her and grabbed her notebook. Seeing his wide-eyed stare, she mumbled, “I thought it would make note-taking easier if we had something already here.”

  He chuckled and said, “I’m glad you’re prepared. I guess I hadn’t really thought this evening through very well.”

  Tucking her hair behind her ear, she was uncertain what he meant by that. “I’m used to taking detailed notes when I meet with a client. That way, I can go back later and remember things that were said.” A slow smile stretched across his face and her heart stuttered, dreading that he still had this effect on her.

  “I’ve always had a pretty good memory, but I like that you’re prepared.” He leaned forward and grabbed the other notebook and pen, twisting his body toward hers. “So, where should we start?”

  She opened her notebook to the first page, embarrassed to admit that she had already jotted down a few ideas. “Well, how about some basics? We now already know each other’s phone number and address, but what about birthdates?”

  Chuckling, he said, “Kinda like name, rank, serial number?”

  “Yeah, I guess, although I hope you don’t see the situation as you being taken prisoner.” Sighing, she added, “Except I’m sure Nancy strong-armed you into this situation.”

  He continued to smile as he leaned against the sofa cushions, his left arm draped across the back, his fingers close to her shoulder. Reaching out, he touched her lightly. “I promise that I don’t feel like I’m a prisoner.”

  Her sofa was not large, and she felt the tingle of his fingertips barely touching her skin. Swallowing deeply, she stared into his light brown eyes, wondering if perhaps she was the prisoner.

  “October 10.”

  She blinked as she continued to stare. “Sorry?”

  He tilted his head toward the notebook in her lap. “You’re supposed to write that down. It’s my birthday. October 10.”

  Jerking her head up and down, she scribbled. “Right. Yes. October 10. Got it.” She felt heat settle on her cheeks but pushed past the blush. “And mine is June 26.”

  “Born in Knoxville?”

  “Yes. My dad was an art professor at the university. My mom worked in the UT library. He’s a photographer and Mom now writes.”

  “Is that where you went to college?”

  Nodding, she smiled. “I guess I’m like everyone else around here. If you cut me, I’d bleed orange. I missed the artistic gene. I majored in accounting. I think I always liked facts and figures and numbers. Accounting made sense to me.” Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “And you?”


  “Nah, I was a Navy Brat to begin with. I was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and I started elementary school there. My dad was originally from Knoxville, so when he retired from the Navy, we moved back here. My grandpa had a building business, and Dad took over.”

  “I never thought about your dad being in the Navy. Is that why you wanted to go?”

  He shrugged as his fingertips continued to rest lightly on her shoulder. “I never really thought about it very much. Sure, my dad had some of his Navy pictures in the house, and I always thought the uniform was cool. But mostly I became infatuated with the SEALs the first time I heard about them. While everybody else in high school was itching to go to college, all I wanted to do was join up, serve, and then apply to become a SEAL myself.”

  Her brow scrunched slightly, and she nibbled on the bottom of her lip. “I’m never quite sure what the protocol is in a case like this.” She noted his own lowered brows and rushed to explain. “I’d like to say thank you for your service, but I don’t want it to sound trite. I really do want to express gratitude that you chose that life and the sacrifices you make.”

  He shrugged his muscular shoulders and shook his head slightly. “Thanks. I know some people get bent out of shape when they hear that, but I figure it’s always nice to know that what you’re doing is appreciated.”

  “Are you going to stay in the Navy? I mean until you retire?”

  His shoulders heaved again, but this time the smile slid from his face. “It’s hard to imagine a life without my team. It’s hard to imagine what else I would do. But, eventually, the body is unable to keep up with the demands of the missions. Some retire and get out of the service completely. Some have no choice when they’re medically discharged. Some stay in and take an instruction position. And others just decide they’ve had enough and get out.”

  She remained quiet, but it did not pass her notice that he hadn’t actually answered her question. Hoping he would keep talking, she settled deeper into the sofa cushions.