“All right, Amy, we’ll get you back. You’re safe,” Jacob assured her.
“If you ever get caught in a rip current again, swim parallel to the shore,” Noah instructed her as he swam beside them. “Fighting against it will just tire you out, and you’ll end up farther and farther out in the ocean.”
“Okay,” she gasped.
“Just relax,” Jacob said. “You’re doing great.”
He felt her body relax against him, and he swam with her. After a few minutes, he shifted her to Noah’s arms. He could easily get her back to shore, but they’d make it back faster if they took turns, saving their strength.
The three of them came into closer view of the shoreline, and he could see the emergency vehicles driving down the beach toward the group. Glancing behind him, he saw Ryker and Mason hauling the man with them. He was cursing and swearing, and Jacob wondered how much he’d been drinking.
Amy seemed fine, but this guy had clearly had a few too many.
Alcohol and swimming certainly didn’t mix.
Jessica waved as they got closer, relief crossing her face as she saw that Amy was okay. She made a move to go into the ocean, but Hunter held out an arm, telling her to stay put. The sun sank lower into the horizon, and Jacob was glad they hadn’t had to search for them in the dark. He had no issues with swimming at night, but it would’ve been hard as hell to find them. They might not have even noticed them missing at all until it was too late.
Hunter rushed forward into the shallow water to meet them, lifting Amy into his arms and jogging toward the emergency vehicles. Jacob helped Ryker and Mason haul the drunk guy to the sand, and then they were carrying him over as well, each of them holding onto one limb.
Jacob’s wet cargo shorts clung to him as he moved up the beach with his team mates, but his soaked outfit was the least of his concerns. They handed the man off to the EMTs, and he finally stripped his shirt off, squeezing out the soaking wet cotton.
He palmed the soggy shirt in one hand and in a couple of long strides, was by Jessica again.
“What happened?” Jessica asked as they began to load Amy’s stretcher into an emergency vehicle.
Her eyes briefly widened as she took in Jacob’s bare torso, but she quickly looked back toward her friend.
“He wanted to go for a swim—I figured what the hell?” Amy said with a cough. “But then we got caught in that undertow and couldn’t make it back to shore. Thank you,” she said, her eyes watering as they locked with Jacob’s. “I was so exhausted; I don’t know how long I could’ve stayed above water if you guys didn’t come rescue us.”
“You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re safe,” he said, looking from her over to Jessica. She briefly introduced the two of them, and then a moment later, Ryker and the others were there.
“Ryker and I are going with them to the hospital,” Michelle announced. “You can drive me, right?” she asked, glancing over at him. “I need to make sure that Amy’s okay.”
He nodded, his dark gaze assessing the situation.
“All right, well, I can meet you over there,” Jessica said.
“We left the house unlocked,” Amy choked out. “You should probably bring our stuff back first and lock up.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Jessica agreed, glancing over at their belongings further down the beach. The women’s towels and bags were still sitting there, possibly with cell phones or other items that shouldn’t be left out for hours for anyone walking by to grab.
“I’ll help you,” Jacob assured her. “We can gather up your friends’ things and carry it all back to your house. Then I can give you a lift to the hospital if you want.”
“Okay, um, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“It’s no trouble,” he assured her. She looked so worried in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her close. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to something like that though. The thought of her nestled against his bare chest was appealing as hell, but she seemed reserved again. Just as she’d started to relax at the bonfire, one of her friends had nearly drowned.
Now wasn’t exactly the time to worry about getting closer to her.
He could help soothe her frayed nerves though. Jacob would help her pack up their stuff and get it back to her house. Maybe get her number and take her out another night when things had settled down a bit. For now, their main priority had to be her friend.
“We’ll meet you over there soon,” Jessica told Amy before they drove away.
Jessica’s eyes nervously skittered over Jacob as they headed back to the bonfire and the rest of the group a few minutes later. “It’s all right, angel,” he said. “Let’s update the others, and then I’ll help you grab all your stuff. It’s just a precaution to check them out at the hospital. Amy will be ready to go home in no time.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Impulsively, he grabbed her hand, tugging her slightly closer to him. His thumb caressed the back of her hand, and he swore that she shivered at his touch.
As hesitant as she was, he could see she was attracted to him. And he sure the hell was attracted to her.
A woman like Jessica wasn’t up for a quick lay though—and he was okay with that. Something about her was attractive as hell, her looks notwithstanding. She was level-headed and rational, not panicked and screaming when her friend was in trouble. She calmly adapted to the changing plans of the night. She didn’t get all wound up like Michelle, who’d seemed to enjoy the attention of prancing around in a bikini all night.
He wouldn’t have minded if Jessica hadn’t pulled a dress over her own bikini—hell, she was gorgeous. But there was something appealing about knowing that Jessica in a bikini would be for his eyes only. And he wanted her to feel comfortable with him.
Now he just needed to convince her to let him take her out.
“IS EVERYTHING OKAY?” a tall guy with ice blue eyes asked in a low voice as they headed back to the bonfire. His cool gaze swept over Jessica and Jacob, taking in the way they were holding hands, before tracking to the emergency vehicles heading off in the distance.
“Affirmative, Ice,” Jacob said. “They’re taking them to the hospital to get checked out, but both victims were coherent and breathing on their own.”
“Victims,” Jessica said with a shudder.
“You’re in good hands with Jacob,” the man said, holding out his own hand. “I’m Patrick.”
Jessica reluctantly let go of Jacob’s hand to shake Patrick’s. He was easily as big and strong as Jacob, but she didn’t have the nervous butterflies in her stomach that she did when Jacob was around. That was probably a good thing, too, since she noticed a wedding ring on his hand.
“I don’t know what we would’ve done if you guys weren’t here on the beach tonight,” she admitted. “I never could’ve swum out their quickly enough to help them—not that I could have dragged two people back for help anyway.”
“The best thing you can do is call 911 if you’re ever caught in a situation like that again,” Patrick said. “We’ve all trained for water rescues, but most people shouldn’t even attempt that. And the guys had each other, too. It wasn’t a one-man rescue attempt.”
“Did Amy know that guy she was with?” Jacob asked.
“Not really. We met him at a bar the other night. He’s just here for the week on vacation, but Amy and him hit it off. I think he’s renting a place somewhere on the north end of the beach like us.”
“It’s dangerous to swim when you’ve been drinking,” Jacob said. “I know your friend wasn’t drunk, but that other guy sure the hell was.”
“I know—I didn’t even realize they’d gone into the water. I went off with you and—” She cut herself off, realizing they probably shouldn’t have left Amy alone anyway. They didn’t know that guy, and she should’ve at least checked on her friend before they were way out in the ocean.
Patrick excused himself, turning back toward his w
ife and kids, and Jessica was alone with Jacob once more.
“It’s not your fault they got swept out to sea—it was a bad choice on their part.”
“I know, I just can’t help but feel guilty.”
“No way any of that is your fault, angel, so don’t let it weigh on you. Listen, I know you didn’t get a chance to eat earlier before we rushed off,” he said. “You want to have anything? I might go grab a change of clothes from my SUV. I’m parked just on the street over there.”
“No, I’m not very hungry. You can change at our house though if you want.”
“Awesome. Wait here for a minute while I get my stuff. I’ll be right back.”
Jacob jogged off, looking like some sort of Greek God in the setting sun. Muscles rippled on his bronze skin, and she finally forced herself to stop staring at him and turn toward the others. He was way too tempting for her to be spending a lot of time with—especially since she’d already decided she wouldn’t be having any flings this summer. Michelle and Amy could do what they wanted, but as for her?
She wasn’t willing to play games with her heart.
“Are you all right?” a woman with a baby asked, walking over to her. “I’m Rebecca by the way—you just met my husband Patrick.”
“Oh, yeah, fine. Just feeling frazzled about everything that happened.” She ran a hand through her waves, realizing she probably looked awful.
“You look fine,” Rebecca said, apparently sensing her nervousness. “Jacob seems pretty interested in you—I know you two just met, but with the way he’s acting? It’s obvious.”
Jessica laughed. “He’s a nice guy—and who am I kidding? Totally gorgeous. He’s not really my type though.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said when I met Patrick. I was a single mom and a busy lawyer—pretty independent. Then Patrick came along and swept me off my feet before I even knew what was happening.”
“He seems like a good guy.”
“The best—they all are. I don’t know if Jacob told you what they do, but you probably figured out that they’re military.”
“That part would’ve been obvious even if he hadn’t mentioned it,” she admitted. “The muscles, the cropped haircuts.” She flushed, thinking of how attractive Jacob was. Goodness, a guy like that could have any woman he wanted. What did he see in a plain school teacher like her?
“They’re Navy SEALs—no better group of men, really. They fight hard for the country, but they fight hard for the women in their lives, too. If they want something, they go after it.”
Jessica smiled, feeling her cheeks redden. “I’m just here for the summer, so it’s not like anything would happen. I mean, sure, we could hang out a few times, but....” She shrugged as she trailed off.
“Hey! Rebecca!” a woman’s voice shouted. “We’re heading out.”
Jessica glanced over to see a strawberry blonde woman and guy holding a toddler headed their way.
“That’s my best friend Alison,” Rebecca explained. “That’s Evan. They just had a baby last year.”
“Wow. It seems like all of Jacob’s friends are married with kids,” Jessica mused.
“A lot of them are,” Rebecca agreed. “I think he wants that, too, even if he won’t admit it. Give him a chance,” she said with a smile. “He’s a good guy.”
Jacob came jogging back with a change of clothes in one hand. He flashed her his trademark crooked grin as he came to a stop beside her. “What’d I miss?” he joked. “I assume Rebecca was talking me up while I was gone,” he said, watching as she walked over to say goodbye to Alison and Evan.
“That she was,” Jessica said. “I still haven’t decided if I should give you a chance though,” she teased.
His eyes heated as he looked down at her. The air practically crackled with the electricity surging between them, and she resisted the urge to reach out and touch those solid muscles and tanned, toned flesh. He was so big and masculine, her body alighted any time he was near. He held her gaze a beat longer, and then his lips quirked in a smile. She imagined them brushing over hers as he ducked down for a kiss.
Which wouldn’t be happening in front of all his friends at the bonfire.
“I rescued your friend from the ocean earlier—that’s gotta count for some brownie points in my favor, right?” he said with a wink.
“Maybe....”
“Let’s go, angel. I’ll haul your friends’ stuff back and change into some dry clothes. Then we can head on over to the local hospital.”
“Sounds good,” she said.
They left the others at the bonfire and headed toward the things the women had left earlier. Jacob’s arm brushed lightly against hers as they walked, and she felt shivers racing down her spine. It was a warm summer night, but goodness if she didn’t feel chills when he was near.
The sundress she had on ruffled in the ocean breeze, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
Between the adrenaline of the guys rescuing Amy and the butterflies in her stomach just from being near Jacob, she felt like she’d jumped off a cliff or something.
It was exhilarating and exciting and also scary as hell.
A guy like him could shatter her heart into a million pieces. She’d fall head over heels, perhaps, and he’d check one more girl off his list. He was funny and flirtatious—she didn’t doubt for a second that he’d been with a lot of women.
She wasn’t built that way—and as flattering as his attention was, and as much as she appreciated his help tonight, it wasn’t like anything would come of it.
“How about one date,” Jacob said as she began stuffing their belongings into a bag. He glanced up, flashing her a grin, and she tried not to stare at his muscular physique. Jacob shirtless was hot as hell, and she didn’t need to let herself become smitten with a man she didn’t even know. “We’ll go to dinner later this week, and if you’re not happy for whatever reason, I’ll bring you right back home. No pressure.”
“I can’t meet you there?” she hedged.
“You can if you want, but that wouldn’t be a real date then. Besides, if things go well on our date, I’m hoping to drive you back home and kiss you goodnight.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe I can kiss you?” he teased, his eyes sparking with interest as she blushed.
“Maybe we can go to dinner.”
He chuckled, lifting the cooler tote and beach bags up as if they weighed nothing at all. “I can work with that, angel. And just so you know—I’d never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. If you want to go home or have second thoughts or something, just say the word. I’ll bring you back home, no questions asked.”
She slung her own tote bag over her shoulder and pointed to a house, barely visible now in the near-darkness. “That’s us right there.”
“You’ve got a sweet place for the summer.”
The sound of the waves crashing on the shore helped to calm her frayed nerves. “Yeah, it’s so dark and peaceful down this way, too. We were on the boardwalk the other night—you can see pretty well with all the lights. But down here? I like to sit out on our deck at night and just listen to the waves. Look at the stars.”
“I’ll admit I love being around the water, too. Of course, I joined the Navy, so that’s somewhat of a requirement,” he added with a low chuckle.
The soft sand shifted beneath her feet as they walked, and then they were at their beach house. “I know you weren’t planning on being away from the house so long, but you should really lock up,” he said as she opened the sliding glass door on the ground level.
“We will next time for sure,” she said, dropping her bag down onto the tiled floor. Jacob followed suit, setting the rest of the stuff down. “So, there’s an extra bathroom right there if you want to change. Feel free to shower or whatever, too, if you want. I’m going to go upstairs and change real quick before we head to the hospital.”
“Sounds good.” He pulled his cell phone from the dry shorts he was carrying.
“Ryker said they’re in the emergency room now.”
“Oh good, okay. Michelle’s phone is here with her stuff, so I was worried we wouldn’t be able to get any updates.”
Jacob quickly scanned the next text. “They’re both being examined right now. Ryker thinks they’ll leave pretty soon.”
“Wow. That would be amazing. I broke my arm once and waited for over an hour just to be seen.”
“When you arrive by ambulance, I’m sure you get priority. Plus drowning victims aren’t really something they want to wait around with. The ER probably needed to make sure they didn’t have water in their lungs or anything. A broken arm is painful, sure, but if it wasn’t bleeding, you weren’t in danger.”
“You’re right. Well, I guess we could wait here for them.... I mean, you don’t have to wait of course. But I can wait for them to get back.”
“We can hang out on that deck of yours,” he said, flashing her his crooked grin. “Ryker’s bringing them back, so I might as well stick around. I’ll shoot him a text after I change and see what the status is.”
She nodded, feeling nervous all over again. She wasn’t planning on hanging out here alone with Jacob tonight. That was a date of sorts, wasn’t it? The two of them, all by themselves. “All right. Just, um, come on upstairs after you’ve changed or whatever.”
She flushed, suddenly imaging Jacob stripping off his wet shorts and boxers. He probably was a boxer guy, she figured. But she shouldn’t be picturing him standing around in his underwear. This was crazy.
And how could he act so blasé about hanging out together in her beach house? He probably went home with random women all the time, she realized. She didn’t have guys over here. But to him? This was probably just another night.
“Sounds perfect. See you soon, angel,” he said, ducking into the guest bathroom.
The door shut behind him, and she wondered what she’d gotten herself into.
Chapter 4
“KNOCK-KNOCK!” A MALE voice called out, and a beat later, Jacob was walking barefoot into their kitchen, wearing dry shorts and a tee shirt. “I didn’t want to startle you,” he said with a crooked grin. “Ryker says they should be discharged in half an hour or so.”
Summer with a SEAL Page 3