Stranded with a SEAL

by Makenna Jameison

  Stranded with a SEAL

  AN ALPHA SEALS NOVEL

  Makenna Jameison

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 by Makenna Jameison

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  Table of Contents

  About this Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Books by Makenna Jameison

  About the Author

  About this Book

  BEING STRANDED ON A desert island with a Navy SEAL could be worse...

  Navy SEAL Noah “Viper” Miller is deadly on the battlefield and even more dangerous in bed. He’s lusted after blonde bartender Bailey Franklin since the first time he saw her and isn’t used to a woman turning him down.

  Bailey’s long blonde hair, wicked sense of humor, and dangerous curves haunt his dreams.

  But just because he can kill an enemy with his bare hands doesn’t mean he’s a match for the feisty bartender.

  Bailey Franklin has been attracted to Noah since the first time he sauntered into her bar. Cocky and flirtatious, he has heat coursing through her any time he's near.

  When a relaxing afternoon at sea ends up with the boat capsizing during a sudden storm, Noah comes to her rescue.

  But getting safely to shore is only the beginning.

  They're stranded together on a remote island, desperate and alone. Noah's ready to put his SEAL training and survival instincts to good use...but will he be able to convince her to give him a chance as well?

  Stranded with a SEAL, a standalone novel, is book twelve in the addictive Alpha SEALs series.

  Chapter 1

  Bailey Franklin flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, turning to grab a bottle of whiskey from the shelf behind the bar. In her hot pink tank top, snug jeans, and trendy sneakers, she was in her element tonight, serving drink after drink to the patrons at the crowded bar along the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

  A slight breeze blew in from the open door leading onto the deck overlooking the beach, and she snuck a quick glance out, seeing the moon beginning to rise in the evening sky.

  Although it was cool outside, heat lamps were set up around the deck, interspersed with a few fire pits. Couples were cozied up together, the alcohol was flowing, and groups of friends were laughing and having a good time.

  “Shots for everyone!” a young guy seated on a barstool called out. “My buddy’s getting married tomorrow!”

  “Hoorah!” a few men shouted, followed by the whoops and hollers of other patrons.

  “Married?” a drunk guy called out from across the bar. “More like pussy-whipped!”

  Bailey resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she lined up shot glasses on the bar, neatly pouring the whiskey into them. The young guys sitting there eagerly each grabbed a shot glass, downing their shots in a single gulp and chanting for more.

  “Hey sweetheart,” one of them said, leaning over on the bar to get even closer to her. “My buddy may be getting married, but I’m single. What do you say? Want to come back to my hotel later on?”

  “No thanks,” she said dryly, clearing the empty glasses and lining up a second row. “I don’t date patrons.”

  “Who said anything about dating?”

  His friends chuckled as one of them punched him in the arm. “Easy, asshole. Sorry about that,” he said to Bailey with a shrug.

  “No worries,” she said, flashing him a smile. “I’m used to it.”

  She poured them a second round and then crossed the bar, heading over to the older guys seated there. She gathered her blonde hair back, tying it into a low ponytail as she moved. “Anything else for you two tonight?”

  “We’re all set. Keep the change, hun,” one of the men said, handing her a fifty.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Have a great night!”

  They stood up to leave, and she tucked the money into her pocket. Usually the older patrons tipped well. Some of the young guys were too cheap or too clueless to care. She didn’t have a good feeling about the group of guys having their bachelor party bar crawl. Guys like that were more interested in drinking as much as they could as quickly as possible, not tipping their bartender.

  She walked back over as they slammed their second round of shots down, noting with interest the tall guy wearing aviators that was headed toward them. With short cropped dark hair, broad shoulders, and impressive biceps, she had a feeling he might be from one of the Naval bases nearby.

  The Virginia Beach strand frequently had sailors from Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek stopping by. Anchors, the bar and restaurant where her best friend Taylor waitressed, was probably the most popular amongst the military men, but the bar she worked at had more than its fair share. Single men and available women did well in this town.

  Not that she was in any sort of relationship herself.

  The guy in aviators grinned as he noticed her watching him, and she did a double-take. He looked slightly familiar, like she’d seen him around Anchors before. And Taylor had been dating her Navy SEAL boyfriend Mason for the past month. Maybe this guy knew him?

  He moved easily through the crowd, fist-bumping the guy who apparently was getting married tomorrow.

  “Noah! It’s awesome that you could stop by. I can’t believe you’re stationed down here. It’s been fifteen years since high school, man!”

  Realization clicked. Noah. He was friends with Mason. She’d seen him one day when she was sitting in her convertible at Anchors after dropping off Taylor. Funny that she hadn’t placed him at first. Then again, those guys usually didn’t hang out here.

  “It’s been too damn long,” Noah agreed. “But look at you—walking down the aisle? Hell, I didn’t think I’d see the day.”

  His friend chuckled, gesturing to Bailey for another round.

  “Hell, neither did I. But we’re all getting older, right?”

  “Not if I can help it,” Noah quipped. “I’d love to be young and single forever.”

  Arousal pooled in her center, coiling from her belly down lower still. Something about the deep sound of his laughter sent a thrill shooting straight through her. And with his muscles upon muscles and tall, confident vibe, he was attractive as hell.

  Of course, guys like that also always had a million women chasing after them. She was usually up for a good time but drew the line at the guys who were players. She didn’t mind a hot night with a man, but she at least wanted to feel somewhat special.

  Just being a notch on some guy’s bedpost wasn’t exactly any woman’s dream.

  “Young,” his buddy scoffed. “We’re thirty-three. Old men compared to the eighteen-year-olds.”

  “I suppose,” Noah said with an easy grin. “I can be young at heart though, right? I’m meeting some of my buddies at Anchors later on, a bar up the beach. I couldn’t pass up the chance to grab a beer and wish you congrats though. Married? Holy hell,” he said, letting out a low whistle.

  Taylor smiled as she walked over. “Another round for everyone?”

  “What are we drinking?” Noah asked, sliding his aviators atop his head.

  “Whiskey,”
his friend said.

  “I’m game,” Noah said, his bright green eyes flashing with interest as he looked at Bailey. She saw his gaze track over her small eyebrow ring. She’d gotten it pierced as an act of defiance when she was younger, but now she loved the slightly edgy look it gave her. Three piercings in each ear rounded out the look, and she felt her skin heat slightly as Noah looked over her.

  She lined up another row of shot glasses, filling them up, and watching as each of the men picked up their shot.

  “To Owen!” Noah said, raising his shot glass up in the air.

  “To Owen!” the other men repeated, and then they were downing their third shot, whooping and hollering.

  “Can I get you anything else?” Bailey asked, watching them in amusement.

  “I guess your phone number is out of the question,” Noah said, his green eyes landing on her. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she felt frozen in place. A beat passed before she recovered her composure.

  “That it is,” she agreed. “I don’t date customers.”

  “You’re friends with Taylor.”

  It wasn’t a question. Had he known who she was all along? She tried not to shift in place under his intense gaze. Part of her felt like he could see right through her, which was crazy. She didn’t even know the man.

  “Bailey Franklin,” she said, resisting the urge to flinch as she held out her hand.

  His large, warm hand encompassed hers. His skin was slightly rough, but despite how strong he clearly was, he held her hand carefully, not crushing it in his. “Noah Miller.”

  “I thought the guys called you Viper?”

  He chuckled, holding her hand a beat too long. She immediately missed the warmth when he released her. “Who told you that? Riptide?” he asked, referring to Mason.

  Every man on the Delta SEAL team had a nickname, and Mason and Taylor had told her them one night over drinks.

  “Yeah, aren’t you afraid of snakes or something?” she asked innocently.

  Noah chuffed out a laugh, looking amused. “That’s what he told you?”

  She smiled, feeling shivers race down her spine as he stared intently at her. She tried to keep focused on his face and not let her eyes wander down to those broad shoulder and impressive biceps. How much could a guy like that bench press? He could probably pick her up with no problem.

  Something about his strength and masculinity was appealing as hell. Not that anything was going to ever happen between them.

  “No, I’m just messing with you,” she said with a laugh.

  His eyes lit up. “Damn straight. Mason is the one afraid of snakes. I even saved his sorry ass once.”

  “I can’t see it,” she said, shaking her head. Her low ponytail moved across her back, and she saw Noah’s gaze drop to her chest. She wasn’t huge, but the tank top she had on hugged her breasts nicely. A customer gestured to her from across the bar, and she excused herself, Noah protesting that she hadn’t even let him tell her the story.

  She felt his eyes on her ass as she moved away, and she smiled. God, he was such a flirt. Taylor had told her he always had a new woman with him. Which was exactly why she’d never date a guy like him. Not that she minded a little harmless flirtation.

  He wasn’t exactly hard to look at, either.

  If she knew he wouldn’t be around all the time thanks to the fact that they had mutual friends in Mason and Taylor, she wouldn’t have minded a little hot and heavy make-out session with him. Feeling all those hard muscles pressed up against her sounded delicious.

  But she definitely wasn’t having a one-night-stand with one of Mason’s friends.

  She took drink orders from a few women who’d sat down, and then moved around making drinks for other patrons. Half an hour later, she’d been pouring beers nonstop, mixing mojitos and other specialty cocktails, and even popping open a bottle of champagne for an older couple out celebrating their anniversary.

  By the time she got back to Noah’s group, he was MIA.

  Maybe he’d already left to go meet up with his SEAL team friends. Hadn’t he told that guy Owen he’d just be there for a little while?

  She let the other bartender take over while she took her break, and she slipped out onto the deck out back, planning to go down to the boardwalk and enjoy a few minutes of relative quiet before she had to be back on duty.

  She shivered in the night air but jogged down the steps of the restaurant’s deck, heading toward a bench down on the boardwalk. Lampposts dotted the strand up and down the boardwalk, and with the sun nearly setting, the lamps perfectly lit the entire path up and down the beach.

  “Hey,” a male voice said, causing her to jump and squeal in surprise. “Sorry, it’s me,” Noah said, reaching out to calm her. “Noah.”

  His warm hand landed on her bare shoulder, and she glanced back to see him standing behind her. Heat radiated off his large frame, but it was the touch from his hand that burned into her skin. Even when he removed it, she could still feel it there, as if he’d branded her.

  Marking exactly where he’d been.

  She turned toward him and looked up to meet his intense gaze. Noah was six-feet-tall and nothing but pure muscle and masculinity. He towered over her much smaller frame, somehow making her feel delicate and feminine.

  Inexplicably making her feel safe.

  The clean scent of his soap filled the air between them, mixed in with the salty air from the ocean breeze.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, his voice deep. “I saw you head out here and wanted to say goodbye. I’m meeting up with some of my team mates over at Anchors.”

  “Oh,” she said in surprise. He’d come out here looking for her just to say goodbye?

  Not that it mattered. Guys like him were a dime a dozen around here. One military guy would leave the bar with a beautiful woman, and another would walk in the door a few minutes later.

  It didn’t matter what Noah did.

  He was just like every other man around.

  “Hell, you’re cold,” he said as she shivered.

  “I’m fine. It feels good out here after being behind the bar all night. The deck is so crowded, I just came down here for a breather.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, it’s packed in there. But anyway, I didn’t want you to think I up and stiffed the bartender.”

  “Uh-huh,” she said, crossing her arms as she looked up at him.

  He chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked, feeling miffed.

  “You. You act all tough, but I bet you couldn’t hurt a fly.”

  “That’s a bet you’d lose.”

  He reached out and brushed a stray strand of her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. He seemed fascinated by the tiny row of earring she had there, briefly running his thumb over them as she shivered. His large hand lightly moved down her neck, his touch burning into her skin, and she felt heat rising within her.

  This was ridiculous.

  She didn’t know Noah. He was friends with her best friend’s boyfriend. So what?

  She shouldn’t be standing out here with him in the dark like they were together or something. It was a little odd he’d come looking for her, but she supposed they were sort of friends. They had mutual friends, at least.

  “I’ll let you enjoy your break,” he said, taking a step back, breaking whatever spell was between them. “Owen’s best man is footing the tab for tonight. But if those guys don’t pay the right amount, let me know. I’ll swing by tomorrow and settle up.”

  “We have bouncers at the bar. They don’t exactly take kindly to customers refusing to pay.”

  “I know. I’m just looking out for you.” His gaze locked with hers for a moment, and then he was turning away. Walking back toward the restaurant in a couple of long strides.

  Looking out for her?

  She didn’t need a guy to watch out for her at work. Especially a man she barely even knew. Maybe Mason was protective toward Taylor, but hell. She’d practically be
en kidnapped by her crazy ex-boyfriend’s friend. Everyone was protective toward her now.

  Bailey walked back up to the deck, taking a deep breath. The cool night air blew around her, and she breathed it in, ready to get back inside. To get back to work.

  There was an entire bar full of guys there tonight. No need to let this one stay on her mind.

  Chapter 2

  Noah muttered a curse as he walked away, trying to get the image of Bailey on the boardwalk out of his mind. Standing there in the moonlight, her hair pulled back, her eyes wide and innocent as she looked up at him?

  Hell.

  He was a goner, and he barely even knew the woman.

  He’d seen her moving around the bar earlier, comfortable in her own skin, at ease with all of the patrons seated there. She was pouring drinks, collecting tips, and bantering with them like she was everyone’s best friend.

  With her long, flowing blonde hair and silver eyebrow ring, she was a study in contrasts. Feminine yet with a bit of sass that he loved. Sweet with a touch of spice.

  She’d looked almost vulnerable out there tonight on the beach with him though, which was ironic. She seemed like the type of woman who didn’t put up with shit from anyone. Then again, she probably hadn’t expected him—or any man—to come chasing after her on her break.

  Not that he was chasing her. Just saying goodbye.

  That pink tank top she’d had on had hugged her breasts nicely. Although she was petite, her breasts were full and gorgeous. A perfect handful. Her nipples had pebbled beneath the tank top in the cool night air, and he’d hardened instantly as he’d looked at her.

  As he’d imagined what she looked like beneath those form-fitting clothes. The tight jeans she had on did wonders for her ass. Hugged her slim hips and curved over her rounded bottom.

  The woman was just tempting as hell all over.

  He’d had to back away before he did something foolish. Before he stepped even closer and ducked down for a kiss. He shouldn’t have been brushing her hair back, touching the delicate skin of her neck. Hell, he shouldn’t have been touching her at all.