HOT SEAL Hero

by Lynn Raye Harris

“Awesome. Where are the cups?” she asked, shuffling toward the cabinets behind him.

  “I’ll get it. What do you take in yours?”

  “Cream. Lots of cream. Or milk if you don’t have cream.”

  “We have cream. Neo likes it.”

  He poured coffee in a mug, then added a healthy dollop of cream and stirred. He handed it to Chloe and she took the cup in both hands, curling her fingers around the mug and lifting it to her mouth to take a sip.

  “Mmm, good stuff. I didn’t know you could make coffee.”

  No, she wouldn’t have known. They’d never even had breakfast together. Dinner, yes. Hot sex, yes. But no breakfast. No quiet mornings just talking and enjoying each other.

  “I can make a few things. Including an omelet. Would you like one?”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.”

  She smiled. “You’re on.”

  He went over to the fridge and pulled it open to gather eggs and cheese and other ingredients. “Anything you can’t stand in an omelet?”

  “Sardines?”

  He whipped around to look at her.

  She was grinning. “You asked.”

  “Who the hell eats sardines in an omelet?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Hipsters from California?”

  It took him a moment to realize she was teasing him. He snorted. “You’re funny, Chloe Cooper. Hilarious even.”

  She gave a little half bow. “Why thank you, kind sir.”

  He grabbed a bowl and started cracking eggs. “I’m a Navy SEAL, I’ll have you know. I’ve eaten things that would make you puke—”

  “Sardines in an omelet would make me puke,” she interjected.

  He gaped at her. Holy shit, Chloe was a little firecracker. He didn’t think she’d shown this side of herself in far too long, which made him kind of happy she felt comfortable enough to show it to him. He thought of Travis James hitting her for teasing him about asparagus, and he wanted to break the guy’s neck.

  “Sorry,” she added when he didn’t respond. He could see her folding in on herself, as if she worried she’d gone too far.

  “Are you kidding me?” he asked. “That was fucking perfect. You got me.”

  Her smile was like the sun bursting from behind a cloud. “Hey, you left yourself wide open. I couldn’t help it.”

  He wanted to kiss her. Just bend her back over his arm and kiss the hell out of her. He didn’t though. He didn’t want to bust this fragile happiness she was working on. It was like a kid blowing bubbles. You never knew when it might pop.

  “Keep busting my balls, Chloe. I’m not going to get mad.”

  Her eyes crinkled. He thought she wasn’t entirely trusting, but she wanted to be. “Keep saying things like that and it’ll be easy.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Take a seat at the bar, babe. I’m going to rock your world with a fucking omelet that’ll melt in your mouth.”

  18

  He hadn’t been lying. The omelet was delicious. Ham, cheese, onion, mushroom, and tomato—she’d been amazed when he’d chopped everything so fine—sautéed into the perfect fluffy egg blanket. Chloe ate everything, including the two pieces of buttered toast he slid onto her plate, and drank three cups of coffee. Far more food than she typically consumed in the mornings. She was a yogurt and coffee girl. Sometimes an Egg McMuffin if JoJo brought them in. Pancakes were a rare treat. And omelets were not something she took the time to make for herself.

  But having a man fix breakfast? Sexy. As. Hell.

  “You have any plans today?” he asked as she ate the last bite of omelet.

  Chloe blinked. “Not especially. I mean I’d like to go home and unpack some boxes, but if that’s not a good idea then I won’t.”

  He shrugged. “I think we can manage that. I’ll be with you the whole time, so nothing to worry about. After that?”

  Chloe blinked. After unpacking boxes? “Um, I don’t know. Laundry?”

  He made a dismissive noise. “Laundry is for Sunday evening. This is Saturday, babe. Time for dancing and eating and having fun with friends.”

  Dancing? She hadn’t thought about that. Couldn’t remember the last time she went dancing. “Where do you go dancing?”

  He dumped his own omelet on a plate and turned to face her, standing on the other side of the bar. He cut a bite and lifted it, blowing to cool it. “You can dance at Buddy’s. There are bars over on the Bay, too. DC. Or Annapolis. That can be fun because the Middies frequent some of those.”

  “Middies?”

  “Midshipmen. They’re cadets at the Naval Academy. College students,” he added when she must have looked puzzled.

  “Why would you want to hang out with college students?”

  “I don’t. None of us do—but we’re SEALs. They’re kind of in awe of us. Sometimes it’s fun to stumble through the bars and clubs at the City Dock.”

  “Where else? I don’t think college kids sound fun.” She lifted a hand before he could say anything. “Okay, I know I’m barely past college myself at the ripe old age of twenty-four, but I didn’t actually go to college so I don’t get the life at all. I mean I had friends who went to Tuscaloosa—that’s the University of Alabama, the SEC and the best damned football team in the nation—but I didn’t go. So it’s not my jam.”

  “Not my jam either. I enlisted.” He tapped his fork on the plate for a second. “There’s a little bar over on the Eastern Shore. Sits on the water in a town called Waterman’s Cove. There’s all you can eat crabs, dollar drinks, and dancing until sunrise if that’s what you want.”

  “Sunrise? No. Definitely not. But maybe an hour or two.”

  “Then here’s what we do. We go and unpack some boxes, put stuff away, maybe grab some lunch out—and then around four, we shower and change and head for Waterman’s Cove. We can be eating by five-thirty. Dancing by six-thirty. Watch the sunset and head back here around nine-ish.”

  She liked the sound of that. Really liked it. It felt free and easy. Normal. “Should we invite anyone else to go?”

  “We can. Who do you want me to ask?”

  Warmth suffused her. She liked that he was so easy about it. So willing. “Everyone. If they can’t go, they can’t. But maybe somebody can.”

  He grinned. “You got it, babe.”

  “I want to ask Avery and JoJo too, if you don’t mind. Avery probably won’t go because her fiancé, Jimmy, won’t want to go. But JoJo would die to hang out with Navy SEALs.”

  He leaned over the island and gave her a peck on the lips. Just a nice, sweet kiss without any expectation. “Whatever you want, babe.”

  There was the heavy shut of a door in the basement. It wasn’t a slam, but it was a firm close. Chloe looked down. So did Ryan. There were voices. Loud voices. And then footsteps. They stared at each other. Blinking.

  The outer door slammed a few moments later. A car started up. Ryan rushed over to the window and Chloe jumped off her barstool and went to join him. They peered out. Neo’s Camaro backed down the driveway and whipped around with the driver’s side door facing the house.

  “Dammit,” Ryan muttered. “Can’t see who’s with him.”

  Chloe nudged in beside him, standing on tiptoe as she stared at the street. “Do you think it’s her?” Like she’d know Kayla from any random person off the street.

  “Can’t tell. Fuck.”

  Chloe sank back down on the balls of her feet. “Could be anybody, right?”

  “Could be.”

  “Does he usually bring women home?”

  “No, not usually. But we’ve both done it on occasion.”

  “Thanks for that visual, Ryan. I’d hoped I was unique.”

  He looped an arm around her. It felt right, so she didn’t move away. “You are unique, Chloe. I’ve never cooked breakfast for a women in this kitchen before. Wait, that’s a lie—my aunt came to stay last year and I cooked for her. But never for a woman I’ve slept with.”

  “You are so smooth
.”

  “I’m telling the truth, babe. And here’s another thing for you—I’ve never had a woman over here to stay the night in the guest room, other than my aunt.”

  Chloe couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not a compliment, you know.”

  He tipped his head to the side. “Why not?”

  “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. You figure it out, cutie.”

  “Cutie? That’s not very masculine, you know,” he called after her as she sashayed down the hall.

  “Deal with it—cutie,” she called out before she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. Chloe looked at herself in the mirror, at the high red color in her cheeks, the sparkle in her eyes, the laughter in her smile—and knew she was doomed.

  Ryan Callahan was hardcore adorable.

  They worked in Chloe’s place for a few hours, unpacking and breaking down boxes. It seemed like she had a lot of stuff, but once the boxes were eliminated it wasn’t as much stuff as it had first appeared. It was just that she had some things like her mother’s dishes, which took up a lot of packing space with their wrappings. She tucked the dishes—white with tiny, pale blue flowers and a silver stripe around the edges—lovingly into the big cabinet she’d told him was her mother’s the day he’d helped her move in.

  As the boxes piled up and Chloe started putting things where she wanted them, Ryan could see a home emerging. She had a lot of books, which she placed in artful piles on tables before tucking away more books in the built-in shelves that lined one wall. The house was smaller than the one he and Neo were renting, but it already had more personality. Maybe he should get some interesting stuff to display. Most of what was in his place was the landlord’s, with the exception of his clothes and entertainment center.

  Hell, twenty-six years old and didn’t even own a bed of his own, much less anything like dishes or knick knacks. He’d never really needed any of that stuff.

  “So what would you do to this house if you were renovating it?” he asked her.

  She glanced up from arranging books. “A few things, but it’s not a bad house actually. I’m going to work on some cosmetic changes for Avery—retiling the bathroom, painting the kitchen cabinets and widening the entry from the kitchen to the living room. I’ll replace the carpet too.”

  Before he’d watched renovating shows with her, he might have thought she was crazy. Now he knew she could probably do all that and then some.

  “But what would you do if it was yours?”

  “Ah. Okay, well… I’d knock out the wall between the kitchen and living room and open the whole thing up—it’s not load-bearing, if you were wondering—then I’d move the laundry room from the hallway to the back porch. I wouldn’t sacrifice the porch, I’d just build it out more, enclose part of it and make a mudroom. You already have a side entry from the carport there, which means you could close up the door where you currently enter into the kitchen.”

  “I can see it. Go on.”

  “I’d reconfigure the cabinets, paint them white, find some architectural salvage to really bump it up a level with corbels and stuff. I’d put in quartz countertops and replace the carpet throughout with wood flooring. Oh, and I’d build an addition on the back and make a new master suite with a bath of its own.”

  “Damn. How much would that cost?”

  She shrugged. “Doing the work myself—and calling my cousin who’s in construction? Not as much as you’d think. I could probably do all of it for under fifty. But Avery’s not willing to spend that much, and I don’t blame her. It’s not necessary for a flip.”

  Ryan thought about it. “If you could though, would you? Or would it make more sense to buy something else?”

  “Well I’m not an expert on real estate in this area, but a quick look at the comps could tell you if it was wise or not. The yard is beautiful, with mature trees and landscaping, so that helps. If the house was the right price, sure, it’d be worth it.” She sent him a half-smile, half-serious look. “Why? Do you want to buy it?”

  “Not me. I was just wondering if you saw any potential in it.”

  Her smile was kinda dreamy. “I do. I love the yard. It’s a good starter house—and I’ve never had a house of my own.”

  “Why don’t you buy it from Avery?”

  She shook her head sadly. “I can’t afford it. Even if I could, I’d have to use my real name, remember?”

  He looked around the living room at all they’d done. At how homey the place was. How much more comfortable he felt here than he did across the street, which felt like an extended stay hotel. Comfortable, clean, basic. Chloe’s place had charm. “You should’ve gotten into the construction business. You know what a house needs, and you have great taste. I bet people would pay for your advice.”

  She pushed her hair behind her ears. “I’m not an architect, Ryan. I’m not even an interior designer. I just know what I like.”

  “Yeah, but you fix hair and makeup, right? You know what looks good on people. Why can’t houses be the same?”

  She set another stack of books down and straightened to walk over to him. She put her hands in his, curled her fingers around his. Then she tugged him down and gave him a sweet kiss. Nothing too hot. Still, he could feel the heat beneath the surface because that’s how it was when he kissed this woman. Hot, sexy, and bubbling like mad beneath a veneer of calm.

  “Thank you,” she said. “That’s sweet of you to say.”

  “I’m not being sweet, Chloe. I think you’re talented. Hell, I already want to live here more than I do in my place and I’ve been over there for more than a year now. And before you panic, no, I’m not suggesting I move in—I’m just saying you’ve already made this more welcoming. I like it. Makes me think of home.”

  She smiled up at him and squeezed his hands. He could see down her shirt if he bent forward just a little bit more. He resolutely did not do it. No sense getting a hard-on he wasn’t going to use.

  “If you want some help with yours, I can do that. You’d have to go shopping with me though.”

  “Shopping?”

  She laughed, the sound sweet and pure. “You sounded like I just kneed you in the balls. Yes, Ryan, shopping. You need some stuff if you’re going to get that homey vibe. Right now all you have are the basics—and some really outdated art on the walls, I might add.”

  “Not mine,” he said. “We rented the house furnished. It all belongs to somebody else. Except my television and sound system, of course. Neo has his own too.”

  Chloe laughed again. “Of course. A television and a sound system. Is that the first thing men purchase when they get a job?”

  “Your point?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Never mind. You and Neo are set for movie night. That’s more important. And hey, if you want to come over and enjoy the homey vibe here, you can. We aren’t going to stop being friends when I get to start sleeping here again, right?”

  Hell no they weren’t. Not if he could help it.

  “No way.”

  Her gaze dropped from his eyes to his mouth. Her smile sort of faded away and she was left with a look of longing that sent a flare of heat straight into his balls.

  “I want to get back to where we were before.” She lifted her lashes, her smoky eyes filled with heat and longing. “I mean I agree with slowing it down but, oh, it’s not easy. Not when I remember how well you can use that tongue.”

  He put his fingers gently over her mouth. “Don’t remind me. I don’t want to think about how you taste or how badly I want to be in you right now.”

  “Maybe we should get back to unpacking. I think we could get most of it done today if we keep going.”

  “Whatever you want, babe.”

  Her eyes crinkled. “I still want to go dancing with you too. It’s gonna be a long day.”

  “Yep, think so.”

  She stepped back. “Okay, let’s get cranking then.”

  He snapped her a salute. “Aye aye, captain. I’m yours to command.
”

  Her eyes gleamed for a second. “Tempting. So tempting.”

  “Don’t worry, Chloe. I’ll still be yours to command when you’re ready to climb back on the horse.”

  She stared. “Did you just do a size comparison with a horse?”

  “Nah, I wouldn’t want to embarrass the horse.”

  Chloe burst out laughing. “You’re a nut, Ryan Callahan. But I sure do like you.”

  He couldn’t help but grin. “I like you too, Chloe Cooper.”

  More than he could say.

  19

  Chloe woke with a start. It was dark, but there was a glow of light and she had the sensation of movement. Also, she was cramped as her body leaned to the left, pushing against some sort of restraint.

  “Ryan?” she croaked inelegantly.

  “Yeah, babe?”

  Relief flooded her at his voice. Her brain started to wake up then. Images of the night came crashing back to her. The cute little waterfront bar in Waterman’s Cove. The delicious crabs. The music and dancing. The sunset over the water and the gorgeous form of the man sitting beside her right now.

  “I fell asleep.”

  “You did. It’s been a long day.”

  She shifted herself, sitting up again. Her body was stiff from all the unpacking today. Add in the dancing and she was wiped. “I had three beers all night. And I feel like I’ve just come off a two day drunk.”

  “You were having a good time, Chloe.”

  “I blame JoJo. She’s an instigator.” JoJo had shown up, though Avery and Jimmy hadn’t. Ella and Money were there. Cowboy and Miranda. Viking and Ivy. Blade and Quinn. There were other military guys that Ryan had introduced her to, but she couldn’t remember their names now. She did remember JoJo’s eyes bugging out though.

  “Girl, look at all these sexy beasts,” she’d said in Chloe’s ear. “I’m taking one of them home and doing the nasty tonight.”

  Chloe had laughed. “Which one?”

  “I don’t know! It’s like having to choose an entree from one of those lists and they are all so delicious that you can’t decide.”