IRISH (The Trident Series Book 4)

by Jaime Lewis

  Before Irish could explain the picture, Bailey continued and tapped her finger on the picture. “I’m going out on a limb here. I know men and women in the service like to keep a low profile, but from the little gold symbol above the eight blue stick figures, I’m guessing you and the rest of her ‘uncles’ are SEALs or the proper name I believe is Navy Special Warfare Operator.”

  His eyebrows shot up with surprise. Not many people realized that. To the general population, they were just SEALs.

  Irish took a deep breath. He, along with the rest of his team, weren’t the type to boast about being Special Forces. But he couldn’t lie to her, especially since she was Sienna’s teacher. He nodded his head. “You would be correct.”

  She followed up quickly. “Don’t worry; I know you guys like your privacy. Your secret is safe with me.”

  For some reason, he didn’t doubt it. She seemed like an honest to goodness person, and the way she spoke about her students, he knew she loved her job and genuinely cared for the kids.

  More relaxed, for the next fifteen minutes, they spoke about upcoming projects the students would be working on. She even convinced him to help out with the fall festival the school was hosting next month. He didn’t want to stop talking, but Sienna had made it clear she was hungry, so they said goodnight to Ms. Anderson.

  As Irish walked out of the school, Sienna took his large hand into her tiny one and looked up at him. “I really like Ms. Anderson. And she’s real pretty too. I want to be pretty like her when I grow up.”

  Irish smiled. “I like Ms. Anderson too. And yes, she is very pretty just like you.” He winked, and she giggled.

  Even though he knew he shouldn’t even think about getting involved with Bailey because she was Sienna’s teacher, he couldn’t let the feelings go. There was definitely a connection. The attraction to her made his blood surge. He wanted to ask her for her number but felt it just wasn’t the right time or place. But now he knew where to find her, and eventually, he would ask.

  ◆◆◆

  Bailey sat at her desk. She took another glance toward the doorway that Irish and Sienna walked out of. She couldn’t believe that Irish had been under her nose this whole time. Well, at least since school started. What were the odds that her mystery man was connected to one of her students?

  Ever since their encounter in the parking lot a little over a month ago, she hadn’t been able to shake him from her thoughts. Every night, she would sit out on her balcony, using his sweatshirt he had lent to her to keep warm. Then she remembered what he said. He’d been thinking about her as well. Was this fate telling her to take a chance?

  She had moved away to get out from under the hold of one man, and here she was practically lusting over another one. But this one was definitely different. He was just a man. Not trying to be something that he wasn’t. But one thing that did intimidate her was he was a warrior; he was a Navy SEAL. Those men were powerful. They were trained to kill. They were one of the country’s elite Special Forces group. That alone had put a little doubt in her mind. Randy wasn’t nearly as fit as Irish was, and Randy could control her physically. What would someone with Irish’s power do to someone like her?

  She felt her stomach growl, reminding her that she’d skimped on lunch. Her meeting with Principal Pega during her free period took longer than expected, giving her just enough time to scarf down a banana. Deciding she would grab something on the way home, she quickly arranged her desk so everything would be ready in the morning, then grabbed her bags and headed to her car. Maybe she’d stop at the place where she had gotten her flat tire and try the food. Some of the other teachers told her she had to go. So why not since it was just down the street from her condo and on her way home.

  Chapter Nine

  Irish and Sienna walked into Bayside. Sienna was craving chicken fingers. Irish didn’t have any objections since he had missed lunch today and could go for a big bacon and cheddar burger and cheese fries. The place wasn’t crowded, and they were able to get the usual table he and the team normally sat at near the back exit that led out to the patio overlooking the beach.

  They had just placed their order when Sienna blurted out, “Uncle Ky, look…Ms. Anderson is here.”

  Irish’s head snapped up immediately, and he looked toward the front entrance where Sienna was pointing, and sure as shit, there she stood—looking just as beautiful as when he’d left her just twenty minutes ago. The way she scanned the place, he wondered if she was meeting someone here. His gut clenched. Was she meeting a guy? He watched as she stopped a waitress and asked her something. The waitress smiled and waved her hand in the air, and then Bailey started zigzagging through the throng of tables. She was getting closer to their table, and his heart rate started to pick up. She spotted an empty table three down from his and Sienna’s. When she went to sit, she turned her head and locked gazes with him. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she smiled wide. He smiled back and waved. A waitress stopped at her table, and Irish heard her order an iced tea. When the waitress left, Bailey walked over. He felt nervous yet excited at seeing her twice in the same day.

  “Ms. Anderson! See Uncle Ky; I told you it was her,” Sienna exclaimed as she waved to Bailey.

  Bailey laughed, then looked at Irish. “Looks like we both had the same idea.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, it seems that way. This place has the best food.”

  “Well, that’s good to know, considering this will be the first time I’ve eaten here.”

  Irish knew he must have had a shocked look on his face because she followed up her statement. “If you remember, I was scared to come in here when I got my flat tire. However, my co-workers said I had to try it, and well, I don’t have much to eat at home, so I thought what the heck. It was on my way home; I might as well stop.”

  “Uncle Ky, can Ms. Anderson sit with us? She doesn’t have anyone to sit with?” Sienna asked him with a pout in her lip. He had planned on inviting her to sit with them anyway. Before he could answer, Bailey did.

  “Oh, I don’t want to interrupt your dinner time together. I just didn’t want to be rude and not come over and say hello, again.” She gave him a shy look. It made his dick stir instantly.

  He reached out his hand and touched her arm. He heard her short intake of breath as his hand made contact with her soft skin.

  “You wouldn’t be interrupting. It would make both of us happy if you could join us. I give Sienna another five minutes, and she’ll be playing games over there,” he motioned to the two video arcade games up against the wall, “and it’d be nice to have someone to talk to. Plus, I can help you decide what you want to eat, considering I’ve tried everything on the menu.” He winked, and she blushed. Damn, her shyness was a turn on. She nibbled on her lip as she thought about it. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath or still touching her arm until she finally agreed, and he exhaled. He smiled and signaled to the waitress, happy that he was going to get some more time to talk with her.

  ◆◆◆

  “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what is the story with Sienna,” Bailey asked Irish as she bit into her French dip sandwich. The best French dip sandwich she had ever eaten. Who knew a place like this would have such awesome food? This would serve as a lesson to never judge a book by its cover.

  He set his burger down. “What do you mean?” He kind of asked on the defensive. He was very protective of Sienna.

  Bailey must have realized because she quickly reached across the table and touched his hand.

  “I’m sorry. That didn’t quite come out right. I’m sorry if I offended you. What I meant to say was, where are her mom and dad?” She quickly glanced over at Sienna playing the games. “I mean, look at her, she is the spitting image of you with the blonde hair and blue eyes, but she calls you uncle.” He looked into her translucent blue eyes and could see the sincerity, compassion, and honesty be stilled in her. This woman was different on so many levels than the women he hooked up with.

  He shook h
is head, feeling like a buffoon. “No, I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t mean to come across as a jerk. It’s just when it comes to Sienna; I’m very protective and cautious.”

  She nodded. “I understand. And you don’t have to apologize. She’s lucky to have you and has someone who cares about her the way you do.”

  He thought about her words for a second. Yeah, Sienna was lucky, but he also was lucky himself. In just the few weeks that Sienna had been living with him, she’d brought so much joy and happiness to his world. With the shit he deals with at work, and how it can sometimes be a downer, it’s nice to be able to come home to a house filled with laughter and fun.

  He started explaining about Maggie and her boyfriend. As he rambled on, he snorted a laugh and ran his hand down his face.

  “What?” She asked so innocently.

  “You.” He stared at her for a few seconds. “The only people that even know about Sienna are my teammates and their significant others. But with you, words just seem to fall out of my mouth. There’s something about you that makes me open up and want to spill my life story.”

  She gave him a genuine smile. “Please know that everything you’ve told me tonight will not go beyond this table. Trust me; I’m fully aware that sometimes there is that one person you feel comfortable opening up to.” It seemed to Irish that Bailey was a person who kept her emotions hidden from others so that she wouldn’t have to talk about herself. It had him curious to know what lied beneath her facade. He remembered her mentioning earlier that she didn’t have a great childhood and how she looked sad.

  “Ky, I know we kinda, sorta, just met tonight, but please know if you ever need to talk to anyone, you can call me. I know you probably have your friends and teammates you can call, but I just wanted to throw that out there. If it’s about Sienna or if your neighbor pisses you off, know I’d be there. My number is in the packet of information I gave you at the school.”

  Well, damn, earlier, he was chastising himself for not getting her number, and here she had already given it to him. He smiled and could feel his attraction growing for her by the second. “I appreciate that. I may just take you up on it,” he said, trying to see the direction this conversation would go.

  “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” she replied, holding his gaze, and Irish couldn’t help but think she was insinuating something else. So, he decided to dig a little deeper.

  “You would? And how would your boyfriend feel?” He asked, still not taking his eyes off her.

  She played with her straw and grinned. “Yeah, I would. And there is no boyfriend.” They stared into each other’s eyes, and Irish was mesmerized by her demeanor. She was gorgeous and seemed so kind and caring. Plus, she loved kids. Fuck! What was he thinking here? He was a master at flirting, especially when he needed and wanted some action. But whatever was happening between the two of them was unknown territory. You want her. You want an actual relationship with her.

  The sound of Sienna’s squeal interrupted their moment. They both looked toward the game machine Sienna was playing and saw Ace. He was walking towards them with Sienna in his arms, hanging upside down. Then he spotted Alex right behind him, and when he saw her eyes lock on the beauty sitting across from him, he knew he was fucked. He could see the little twinkle already in her green eyes. Alex loved trying to play matchmaker with him. She called it her life project to find him a woman capable of making him happy and satisfied. Alex knew sex for him would be very important to him in a relationship. But it wasn’t just sex; he wanted someone he could make love to and feel the connection of something more. He was tired of the meaningless one-night hook-ups. He glanced back at Bailey and took one look at the innocent look on her face. Oh yeah, he could so see himself making love to her. He would worship every inch of her body and soul.

  Alex reached the table and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. “I thought you were at Open House tonight at Sienna’s school?” She asked as she made herself comfortable in the chair next to Bailey.

  “We were, Sienna got hungry, so we stopped in here on the way home.” Irish looked at Bailey. She sat there smiling, watching Sienna trying to climb up Ace’s large body like a monkey.

  “I see,” Alex said with a smirk on her face. She glanced over at Bailey, then back at Irish and raised her eyebrows in question. Irish wanted to laugh because he knew it was eating at Alex to know who the woman she was sitting next to. Just to be a wise-ass, he thought about not introducing Bailey to her right away. But then, he thought better of it because that wouldn’t be fair to Bailey and might make her uncomfortable.

  Bailey turned his way and smiled at him. He grinned back and then heard a throat clear. When he glanced back at Alex, she was practically squirming in her seat. Ace was just standing next to the table, holding Sienna against his hip. Talk about an awkward few seconds of silence.

  “I’m sorry. Ace, Alex, this is Bailey Anderson.”

  Alex stuck her hand out, and Bailey shook it without any hesitation, which made Irish’s smile grow. “It’s nice to meet you, Bailey. How do you two know each other?” Alex asked, waving her hand between Irish and Bailey.

  Irish went to speak, but Sienna beat him to it. “She’s my teacher, and Uncle Ky likes her, and he says she pretty like me.” Irish saw Bailey’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she grinned and lowered her head. Alex, on the other hand, was biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, and Ace, of course, stood there with a shit-eating grin on his face. Yep, he was definitely fucked.

  Bailey cleared her throat and then looked at Ace. “Are you guys staying for dinner?”

  Ace smiled. “Yep. Alex was craving a chicken sandwich.”

  “Would the two of you like to join us?” Bailey asked before Irish could, and he smiled, sensing Bailey was completely comfortable around his friends, even though she’d just met them.

  “Oh, we don’t want to impose on your date,” Alex exclaimed, and Irish didn’t know if Alex’s smile could get any bigger.

  Bailey looked to Irish and then back to Alex. “Oh, we’re not on a date. And you wouldn’t be imposing. I didn’t even know Ky and Sienna were going to be here. I just stopped in on my way home. It just so happens we were all thinking the same.” She smiled, and Alex smiled. Ace snorted a laugh, and slapped Irish on his back and took the seat next to him with Sienna on his lap. This was going to be hell.

  ◆◆◆

  Bailey liked Alex immediately. She didn’t come across as fake like the women she was used to back in Birmingham. She was so down to earth and absolutely gorgeous, especially with her dark hair, green eyes, and her olive complexion. Her fiancé, Ace, wasn’t hard on the eyes either. He was kind of the opposite of Irish except for the eyes. They both had blue eyes. Ace had jet black hair and was stockier in his build, whereas Irish had dirty blonde hair and a leaner build. Neither one looked like they had an ounce of fat on them. But that was to be expected, considering all the training they must do.

  Alex’s voice brought Bailey back to the table. “Your eyes are gorgeous. They are so…. blue. And not just any blue. The color is unique. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like them before.” Bailey was going to respond, but suddenly, Alex’s eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open.

  “Oh, my God! You’re Blue!” Alex looked over at Irish and was practically jumping in her seat. Bailey wasn’t sure what to think. But considering that Irish had called her the same name earlier tonight when he first saw her, he must have told his friends about her. She then wondered how many people might know about her.

  “For Christ’s sake, Alex. Will you calm down? Can’t you see you’re frightening her?” Irish scolded his friend, but Bailey knew he was joking.

  Alex touched her arm, making her look at her. Bailey couldn’t comprehend why Alex seemed so happy. Was she this “Blue” that Irish had been telling his friends about?

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to scare you. You don’t realize how bad Mr. Broody over there has be
en wanting to find you since the night he helped you in the parking lot.” Bailey didn’t miss the warning glare that Irish sent Alex’s way. Then Ace intervened. “Alex, how many times do I have to remind you to mind your own business sometimes. This being one of those times.”

  “Oh, my God!” Alex clapped her hands together and bounced in her seat. “This is awesome! We are going to get along great! Just wait until you meet Tenley. Oh! And you already met Autumn.” Alex followed up completely, ignoring her fiancé’s warning, which Bailey found a little funny. She heard Irish sigh as he rubbed his hand down his face, and Ace just laughed at him.

  ◆◆◆

  As the evening went on and everyone finished their dinners, Irish was surprised but thrilled by how well Alex and Bailey got along. The way they were talking and laughing with each other was like watching two old friends catch up.

  Alex had spent a lot of time telling Bailey about her Foundation and how excited she was about the grand opening next month. Bailey seemed intrigued and asked a lot of questions, like how it was funded, how its operation was run, and the history behind it.

  What also surprised Irish was Bailey’s knowledge of the U.S. military. She was quite resourceful and knew a great deal about all the different branches of service.

  “You are like a little data bank of history. How do you know so much about the military?” Ace asked her as he took a drink of his beer, and Irish wondered the same. God, he really hoped she wasn’t a military groupie. That would be such a disappointment.