And the way he casually brushed up against her. His body language made it clear they were together, and her pulse quickened every time he reached over and caressed her bare skin.
A few women walking by had certainly noticed him, and she felt slightly underdressed in her shorts and tank top. Granted, Jacob was dressed casually, too, but that hadn’t stopped the glances of other women nearby.
They were clearly on the prowl, wearing short skirts and sky-high heels. She felt almost frumpy in her flat sandals and tank top. She and Jacob had been wandering around all afternoon though—she couldn’t exactly have worn sexy high heels for a ride on the roller coaster.
“Yeah, sure,” she said, meeting his gaze. “Another margarita would be great.”
Jacob gestured to the bartender and then scrubbed a hand across the stubble on his jaw. “I can’t believe the wait’s this long for dinner tonight,” he said, stifling a yawn.
“You’re tired,” she said. “God, you just got back and have spent all afternoon with me. You must want to do nothing but crash and sleep for hours.”
“Believe me, it’s no trouble,” he said with a chuckle. “This is the best day I’ve had in a while. I do have to be back on base early tomorrow though. So after dinner, I’ll take you home. But I’d love to take you out this weekend. Maybe we can get dinner and walk along the boardwalk.”
“I’d like that. You’re sure you won’t get sent off again on some sort of mission?”
Jacob turned toward her, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. His large hand cupped her cheek as their eyes met, and her skin heated. “I’m never sure about anything in my career,” he said in a low voice. “But I will let you know the next time I’m leaving. Even if I have to send you a quick text in the middle of the night to say I’ll be gone.”
She nodded, suddenly feeling shy. Jacob was acting awfully serious for a guy she’d been on exactly one date with.
“Thanks,” she said as he pulled his hand away. “I just worry about you, you know?”
“I’m not used to that,” he admitted. “Some of the other guys have serious girlfriends. Hell, a lot of the guys on the other team are married. But I’ll make sure I let you know the next time I need to pull a disappearing act.”
“All right,” the male bartender said, setting a margarita and bottle of beer down on the bar. “Here you two go. Need anything else?”
Jacob turned toward her. “Would you like anything?
“I’m fine. Our table should be ready soon.” She took a sip of her margarita, enjoying the saltiness mixed in with the lime. A warm breeze blew in from the ocean, and she grinned. “This is so fantastic here. I swear I’m never going to want to go home after spending the summer at the beach.”
“I hear ya,” Jacob said with a chuckle. “The ocean is soothing. A hell of a way to relax. Even though we’re out on the water plenty of days, the guys and I still head down here a lot of weekends. And of course we enjoy the occasional bonfire.”
“How could I forget that?” she joked. “Thankfully you guys were around that night.”
“How’s Amy” he asked. “No issues?”
“No, she’s great,” Jessica said. “The guy she got stuck out there with headed home anyway. And she’s a bit more cautious now when we’re down by the ocean.”
“That’s probably a good thing,” Jacob admitted.
“Yeah, seriously. I still can’t believe she randomly went swimming. I guess it’s easy to get caught in a riptide though if you don’t know what to watch out for. I’m going to head to the ladies’ room really quick before our table is ready,” she said, sliding down off the barstool.
“Sure thing, angel. I’ll be right here.”
Jessica walked through the crowded bar area on the patio to head back inside. The entire day felt a little surreal right now—Jacob randomly showing up at her beach house. The carnival. Kissing him in the hammock earlier. She felt a little bit like a teenager in high school all over again. Funny how she hadn’t felt a thrill like this in years, and they hadn’t even slept together—or come close for that matter.
Kissing in the hammock hadn’t been totally innocent though—not with their bodies pressed together like that.
She shivered, remembering the feel of Jacob pressed against her. She couldn’t even imagine all those muscles and strength moving over her as they made love. Of him inside of her, filling her up as she whimpered beneath him.
And goodness—Jacob had a perfect body. He was a Navy SEAL for crying out loud. What would he think of her less than perfect figure? She was in decent shape, jogging several mornings a week, but she wasn’t exactly a super model. He probably didn’t have an ounce of fat on him.
Exiting the bathroom a few minutes later, she saw a couple of women talking to Jacob at the bar when she walked back outside. He took a swig of his beer and chuckled, throwing his head back as he laughed at whatever the women were saying.
“Here she is,” Jacob said with his crooked grin as she walked over. He wrapped a muscular arm around her waist and pulled her close. “This is Jessica.”
The two women introduced themselves, one of them laughing as she kept batting her eyelashes at Jacob. Jessica grabbed her margarita from the bar and took a hesitant sip.
“You better watch out with this one,” the blonde woman teased, throwing another glance at Jacob. “We were all out on the beach one day and Jacob practically threw me into the ocean—he just picked me up like I weighed nothing at all.”
“You SEALs are so big and strong,” the other woman cooed. “How’s Ryker doing anyway? And Noah? I haven’t seen them around this week. We even stopped by Anchors the other night.”
“They’re good,” Jacob said. “Noah’s got a girlfriend now though, so he’s busy with her most of the time.”
“No worries,” the second woman said. “I had my eye on Ryker anyway.” She winked at Jacob and then turned away, casting Jessica a brief glance before walking off.
“See you around, sailor,” the blonde woman teased before turning and following after her friend.
Feeling uncomfortable, Jessica sat back down on the barstool. “Well, they seemed friendly,” she hedged.
Jacob took a swig of his beer. “The guys and I met them down on the beach last month. Don’t worry, angel. I told them I’m here with you. Women like that chase after any man in a uniform. If it wasn’t me, it’d be some other guy.”
“They keep looking over here,” she said, watching as they took seats a few barstools away from them.
“They’re harmless. They would’ve flirted with any military guy—women like that are a dime a dozen around here. Excuse me for a moment, angel. I’m gonna hit the head. Our table should be ready in a few minutes.”
Nodding, she watched as Jacob ambled away, turning his broad shoulders as he moved through the crowd. He was tall enough that he was easy to spot, and with his cropped military haircut and strapping physique, he garnered attention wherever he went.
“Hey,” the blonde she’d just met a few minutes ago said, sliding onto Jacob’s empty barstool. She took a sip of her white wine and leaned closer. “Are you guys really dating? I’m just asking because he doesn’t seem at all like the dating type if you know what I mean.”
Jessica frowned. “No, I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh,” the blonde said, taken aback. “Well, he’s just such a flirt. I didn’t think he’d be interested in seeing only one woman. Believe me, I’d know. I offered him my number back on the beach. He had his hands ALL over me that afternoon. That was only a few weeks ago, so...how quickly could a guy like that change, right?”
Jessica shifted on the barstool, feeling uncomfortable. The blonde was perfectly put together, whereas she’d been out at a carnival all afternoon. At the moment, she felt kind of like a frumpy mess compared to the other women. “I can’t really speak for Jacob,” she said with a shrug. “I just met him, too.”
“Oh, that explains it,” the
blonde said. “I figured you couldn’t be his girlfriend or something.”
Jessica raised her eyebrows.
“He’s not really a one-woman kind of guy, you know? And with the way he was flirting with me a few weeks ago, I’d be shocked if he suddenly decided he wanted something serious. Excuse me, I need to get back to my friend.”
The blonde turned and walked away while Jessica looked after her, dumbfounded. The mini-skirt she had on barely covered her ass, and a few guys nearby turned to watch as she walked by. Jacob had acted like he wasn’t at all interested in the other women, but what did the blonde mean that his hands had been all over her?
She felt a tiny twinge of jealousy. Jacob’s hands had been on her, too—in the hammock, as they wandered around the carnival this afternoon. Even tonight it had seemed like he reached out and touched her at every opportunity.
Was he just a total flirt?
If she hadn’t run into him on the beach a week ago, surely he would’ve found some other woman. What made her think there was anything special about her?
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jacob asked a moment later, sliding back onto the empty barstool.
“Oh, it’s nothing. One of those women just came back over while you were gone and was asking about you.”
Jacob frowned. “Hey, Jess,” he said, tilting her chin up so she met his gaze. “They were flirting with me and all of my buddies a few weeks ago. I mean, sure, I might have flirted a little with them then. But tonight, I told them right away I was with someone. I’m here with you.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said, shifting away from him. “I’m just being silly.” She took a sip of her margarita, suddenly feeling more than a little foolish.
“I like you,” he said softly. “Do I date a lot of women? No. It’s easier to just go out for a night or something and never see them again. Or hang out with my buddies and women I meet on the beach.”
“We met on the beach,” she pointed out.
“So we did. And we just spent the entire afternoon together. I didn’t even remember the names of those women until they came over tonight, much less get their numbers. But I came to see you as soon as I got back.”
The hostess came over just then to tell them their table was ready. Jacob climbed off his barstool and held out his hand. “Shall we go eat?” he asked, helping her down. He ducked closer, so that his lips brushed against her ear. “I never asked any of those women out. Only you, angel.”
She flushed, feeling the heat from his large frame radiating off of him. His thumb lightly caressed the back of her hand, and she suddenly felt foolish for doubting him.
“Yes, let’s go eat,” she agreed.
“Thank goodness,” he joked, clutching his free hand to his heart as he winked at her. His brown eyes sparked with amusement, but she could see he’d been sincere about what he said.
“Thank goodness we’re eating or thank goodness I agreed to eat?” she asked, smiling up at him.
“Both, definitely both, angel. I’m starving, yes, but I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else.”
Chapter 13
JACOB DROPPED TO THE ground a few days later, doing another set of push-ups in the training room. He grunted as his biceps burned, but he forced himself to count up to twenty once more. To focus on nothing but the reps he was doing.
Colton counted out from across the room, doing pull-ups on the bars. A few of the other guys were gathered around the weights, spotting one another as they lifted. After training all day out on the water yesterday, a day where they remained on base for PT and briefings was a change of pace.
Jacob preferred being out on the open sea, training for action, rather than sitting through various intel sessions—and knew that the rest of his buddies did as well.
There were still no updates on the missing American official, and he hoped that they deployed again soon to rescue her. The alternative was unthinkable.
“How’s your new lady?” Hunter asked as Jacob stood up, grabbing a towel to wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead. “You seeing her soon?”
“Fantastic,” Jacob said. “I’m taking her out again this weekend.”
“Again? Wait, you already saw her since we got back?” Hunter asked, cocking his head as he watched Jacob.
“Affirmative. The day after we returned stateside,” he added with a chuckle. “Why wait around when there’s a good thing right in front of me? I can’t have some other dude swoop in. I snuck up and surprised her after the debrief.”
“Man, she’s already got you by the balls,” Hunter said with a chuckle.
“You’re one to talk, Hook,” Mason said as he walked over, calling Hunter by his nickname. “You moved in with Emma as soon as she came to the U.S. I mean, did you even date her first or just start shacking up together right away?”
“You just moved too slowly, Romeo,” Hunter said with a smirk. “That could’ve been you and Taylor, too, if you’d gotten off of your ass sooner.”
Jacob’s lips quirked. Mason and Taylor had flirted for a month before finally starting to date. She’d been hesitant to date one of the SEALs who frequented Anchors, but once Mason had convinced her to go out with him, they’d been inseparable ever since. Funny that every man on the team had a woman now—well, except Ryker. And not that Jessica was really Jacob’s woman. They were dating. Taking it slow.
It’s not like anything serious would happen with her leaving at the end of the summer anyway.
“Yeah, yeah,” Mason said. “You and Emma hit it off the second you met. I was there, remember?”
Jacob shook his head, walking over to take a long pull of water from his bottle. “It’s not like anything serious is going to happen with Jess—she’s only here for a couple of months. Hell yeah, I plan to date her while she’s in town. She’s fun and smart—not to mention gorgeous. But she’s got a teaching job in Blacksburg.”
“They’ve got schools here, too,” Colton said sarcastically as he dropped down from the bars.
“No shit, Sherlock,” Jacob said. “I’m just saying, we both know what this is and what it isn’t. Even if things are fucking fantastic all summer, I can’t see a long-distance relationship working out. Hell, they never do.”
“Did you tell her that?” Hunter asked.
“We’ve been on one date. It seems a bit premature for that kind of talk. I had enough trouble just convincing her to go out with me in the first place,” he added with a chuckle. “I’m taking things one step at a time.”
As the other guys continued with their workouts, Jacob felt a stirring of uneasiness beginning to rise inside of him. He was just planning to see her this summer—take her to dinner on the weekends, hang out on the beach. Hopefully start spending the night.
Obviously, nothing would happen after that with her leaving, and at the rate they were going, she clearly wasn’t looking to rush into anything either.
They’d barely even kissed at this point.
He and Jessica would have fun together. Enjoy each other’s company. And when August ended, she’d go back to her home and career. Funny that it felt like when she eventually left, she’d be taking a little piece of his heart with her.
JESSICA POURED BOILING water into the kitchen sink, straining the spaghetti noodles as her phone buzzed on the counter. Amy glanced over at it from where she was chopping vegetables for a salad. “It’s lover boy,” she teased. “Should I answer it?”
“We’re not lovers,” Jessica protested, edging back from the sink as the steam rose.
“Bet Jacob wishes you were,” Michelle joked, crossing the kitchen to pull a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge.
Jessica rolled her eyes, setting the empty pot back on the stove. “Go ahead and eat without me,” she said, grabbing her phone and walking out onto the deck as she answered.
“Hey,” Jacob’s deep voice said as she sank down into an Adirondack chair, curling her legs up beneath her. Her hot pink nail polish stood out against the dark wood, and she remem
bered Jacob briefly running his hands up her legs the other day as he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her goodnight.
Her skin heated just thinking about it. They’d only sat out on the deck a few minutes before he’d had to go, but the memory of his big hands on her skin was enough to leave her flushed and aroused just thinking about it.
“Hey yourself,” she said. “What’s up? Are you back at your apartment?”
“Just leaving base,” he said. “It was a hell of a long day. I’m totally wiped.”
“Yeah, it’s seven at night. Don’t you get on base really early in the morning?”
“We do,” he said. “I’ve been here over twelve hours. I’m starving.”
“Well, the girls and I are making spaghetti if you want to come over and join us. You’ll probably get asked a zillion questions though since they both now seem to think we’re getting married and having ten kids or something.”
Jacob chuckled. “Only ten? Why stop there?”
“Right?” she asked. “Michelle’s seen Ryker almost every night—you’d think they’d be the first to be popping out babies. Apparently, we’re more interesting to discuss though.”
“Every night, huh?”
“Well, he comes over late every night. I mean, they’re not exactly sitting in Michelle’s room knitting or something.”
Jacob chuffed out a laugh. “I’m going to tell the other guys you said that, angel. Ryker, knitting? They’ll love that.”
“Tell them whatever you want. I’m kind of worried about Michelle actually,” she said, lowering her voice. “I mean, she acts like it’s nothing, but they’re not exactly dating.”
“More like fuck buddies.”
“Ewwww,” she said, shuddering. “I just don’t want her to get burned.”
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