“True enough. We have to be prepared for anything. I don’t have anyone worrying about me at home though like Patrick does.”
Alison felt her heart constrict a little. He sounded almost sad, which was crazy, because a young guy like Evan couldn’t be looking to settle down. He probably went out with the rest of the guys every week hoping to pick up women. Rebecca had said some of the guys on Patrick’s SEAL team seemed to have a new lady with them each time she saw them. Patrick was one of the older guys on the team and had a son, but as for the rest of them? Carousing for ladies seemed to be part of their weekly fun when they were stateside.
She and Rebecca had gone to Anchors a few times years ago. It was popular with the military guys and single women in Virginia Beach, and even when she’d gone it had been more for the experience than the hopes of meeting a great guy. It was a pick-up joint, perfect for checking out the opposite sex and snagging a one-night-stand but not exactly the type of place where you’d go looking for the love of your life. The fact that the rest of Patrick’s SEAL team frequented it just further proved her point—if she was looking to settle down in the near future, Evan certainly wasn’t the guy for her.
Sirens sounded in the distance, and an ambulance and fire truck raced by a minute later. The rain was coming down even harder, and Alison was glad she was with Evan. She felt safe with him. As the oldest in her family, she was used to being the one in charge, the one her younger siblings turned to for help and advice. And as a pediatric nurse, she often literally held her patients’ lives in her hands. The children she cared for needed her, and their parents relied on her to guide them with some of the most difficult decisions of their lives. It wasn’t often that she needed to rely on someone else—or that she’d trust them enough to allow herself to.
Yet despite the crazy storm raging around them, she didn’t feel the slightest bit worried with Evan beside her. And what a strange feeling that was. Granted, he probably had more training and responsibilities than most guys his age. The training to become a SEAL was rigorous, and she knew from Rebecca’s stories that the guys engaged in strenuous PT and exercises daily. He was probably used to dealing with scenarios she couldn’t even imagine. Although she did deal with death in a way most civilians never had to, it certainly wasn’t to the extent that guys like Evan did when they deployed. Although she realized she could never know the details about the missions he went on, she wasn’t a fool. Those guys risked their lives every time they were sent out.
They came to an accident on the road, both lanes blocked off by police cars with flashing lights. An officer directed them to a side street, and she felt sorry for the man standing outside in the deluge. The bright yellow hooded poncho he wore was likely doing little to keep out the rain.
Evan carefully navigated around the scene, turning down a side road and going around the block. A steady stream of cars was being re-routed because of the accident, and they inched along in Evan’s SUV, seeing only the red tail lights of the car ahead of them and sheets of water cascading down the windshield.
“Man, this is a nightmare,” Evan muttered.
As they reemerged onto the main road, he glanced over at her, looking concerned. “What kind of car do you drive?”
“An Accord.”
“Maybe I should drive you home. I can give you a lift tomorrow if you need a ride to get your car, but this storm is God awful.”
“Oh, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“I’d feel better if I saw you safely to your house,” he said, his voice low. “And I don’t mind swinging by tomorrow to take you to get your car—promise.”
“I guess that might be for the best,” she said as thunder boomed above them. “This storm kind of blew in out of nowhere.”
“Good. Because I was going to insist on following you home anyway if you still wanted to pick up your car tonight. You shouldn’t be out alone in this weather.”
“You barely even know me,” Alison protested. Despite her resistance, she felt an unexpected surge of warmth at Evan’s protectiveness. This guy hardly knew her—sure, his SEAL buddy was dating her best friend, but it’s not like he was obligated to see her safely anywhere. And she’d already flat-out told him at the barbeque that she was too old for him. She didn’t get the feeling that he was trying to hit on her or change her mind—he was just genuinely concerned.
“There’s no way I’m comfortable with letting a woman drive through this storm alone. Especially this late at night.”
Alison smiled. “You sound a lot like Patrick.”
“He’s a good guy, so I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It was.”
Evan glanced her way, and their eyes briefly met in the darkness. A beat passed before Evan cleared his throat and returned his focus to the road.
“If you’re going to go to all that trouble, let me at least cook you dinner tomorrow to thank you.”
“Dinner?”
“Sure, why not? As friends,” she added, lest he get the wrong idea.
His lips quirked up, and she hoped she hadn’t added that last part unnecessarily. He’d seemed interested in her earlier at the barbeque, and she didn’t want to lead him on. Although he was the type of guy that would have offered any stranded woman a ride home, she sensed he was interested in pursuing more with her. While she knew he didn’t give her a ride home tonight expecting anything, she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea with her dinner invitation and hope for something that was never going to happen between them.
Although she wanted to thank him for his kindness and enjoyed being around him, dating Evan would be another story. A SEAL with dark hair and piercing blue eyes had already caught her attention earlier at the barbeque. She wondered where Brent had disappeared to after they’d chatted and hoped she’d run into him again soon. She’d have to ask Rebecca about Brent tomorrow, maybe even get his number from Patrick. She didn’t feel that he’d be too put off by her tracking him down.
“I suppose I could work with that,” he teased. Evan was cute with his blond hair and amused grin, not to mention his muscular physique, but he wasn’t her type. At all. “Fair warning—you’ve seen how much I eat.”
“Consider me warned. Don’t forget—I grew up with two younger brothers. I’ll make sure you’re well-fed.”
A low rumble in the back of his throat had her glancing his way.
She gave him directions to her house and pulled her phone from her purse when she heard it beeping. Typing a quick reply to Rebecca to let her know she was almost home, she put it back into her bag. There was no sense in telling her Evan was giving her a lift. After all, there really wasn’t much to tell, was there?
They pulled into her driveway fifteen minutes later. The rain was still coming down, but not nearly as hard as earlier. It looked like the worst had blown over.
“I’ll come around and help you out,” Evan said, shutting off the engine.
“Don’t be silly—you’ll get soaked, too.”
Evan leveled her with a gaze. “Sit tight.”
Alison was too startled at his commanding tone to say anything as he jumped out of the SUV and jogged around to her side. He helped her out of the vehicle and tried to shield her from some of the downpour as they hurried to her front door. There was a rush of water running across the front walk, and before Alison could stop him, Evan swept her into his arms. She gasped in surprise, and a second later, he was setting her down in front of her door. Thankfully the porch was covered, and she felt like they were isolated in their own little world as the skies shattered around them.
“How’s that for service?” Evan asked with a grin.
She couldn’t help but laugh. He looked so proud that he’d—quite literally—swept her off her feet.
She’d liked the feel of Evan’s muscular arms holding her close to his broad chest a little bit too much. The feel of his muscles, the warmth of his skin as he’d held her—for just a split second she’d imagined what it would be like to fee
l his body caging her in, kissing her, making love to her. If he’d go that much out of his way for a woman he just met, a woman who’d already told him she wanted just to be friends, she wondered what it would be like to date this man. He’d probably be whisking her off of her feet anytime he felt like it.
They stared at each other for a moment, and she felt her heartbeat speed up.
“You’re drenched,” she said softly, reaching up and quickly brushing some of the water from his face, feeling the slight stubble of his five o’clock shadow beneath her fingertips. For a second, she imagined what the rasp of his whiskers would feel like against her skin—the roughness against the swells of her breasts as he moved over her body, the scraping of that stubble on her inner thighs….
His eyes flared, and she pulled back, offering him a small smile instead. “Just let me know what time works for tomorrow.” She had to snap out of this daze he currently had her in. It must just be the adrenaline from the past hour that had her thinking so unclearly. Evan wasn’t the guy for her. He never could be.
They made plans for the next day, and before she could stop him, Evan bent down and softly brushed his lips against her forehead. The sparks that shot through her at his tender touch nearly undid her. But the moment was over as soon as it had begun, and Evan turned and ran down the driveway to his SUV. She stood there watching him for a moment, her entire body sizzling at his brief kiss. If she felt this way from a chaste kiss like that, what would it feel like to have his lips on hers? To feel that mouth kissing every inch of her bare skin?
She shuddered, then turned and opened the door before he caught her staring after him. As amazing as the moment was, she couldn’t let herself get carried away. She wasn’t going to fall for a younger man again. Sure they could have fun together and probably enjoy many passionate nights, but when she wanted to take their relationship to the next level? To settle down or hope to start a family? He’d cut and bail like her ex, and then she’d just be left with nothing but a broken heart all over again.
Chapter 4
Evan jogged along the beach just after sunrise the following morning, adrenaline coursing through his system. He’d spent a restless night tossing and turning in his bed, a certain redhead on his mind. He’d left Alison’s house hot and bothered last night—brushing his lips against her forehead had been a mistake, because after that, he’d been unable to shake the memory of her scent. The fruity fragrance she wore clung to her skin, had been surrounding him in his SUV as he drove her home, and had been even stronger when she’d stood right in front of him. He’d wanted to bend lower and devour her, tasting her sweet lips and claiming her mouth with his tongue.
Hell. How was he supposed to play it cool at dinner when the woman was driving him out of his mind? He’d loved tucking her small frame against his chest when he’d carried her to the front door. It wasn’t often that he literally swept a woman off her feet, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. With that long skirt she had on, he knew she’d be soaked stepping in that mess. He was being chivalrous, yes, but hell if he didn’t love the idea of holding her close to him. And it had felt every damn bit as good as he’d imagined.
Her damp tank top had clung to her curves, the swells of her breasts taunting him. She was small and petite but with womanly curves in exactly all the right places. And oh how he longed to explore them further one day. The woman had no idea how completely tempting she’d looked as they’d stood there on her porch. If he wasn’t such a gentleman, he’d have invited himself in for a drink. And breakfast the following morning.
He smirked, thinking that was just the style of some of the other guys on his team. Brent, especially. He was aggressive when he went after a woman, and they seemed to all love it. It had been quite the opposite of that last night, with Brent chasing after some other blonde woman. Nah. Brent wasn’t interested in his girl. Not that Alison was his. But hell, if things went his way, he’d sure like a damn shot.
The phone he’d clipped to his armband vibrated, and he frowned. There weren’t many reasons for anyone to be contacting him this early.
Pulling the phone free, he saw it was just Matthew texting him to see if he wanted to meet up at Anchors tonight. Why the hell the message couldn’t wait until after breakfast, he had no idea. Maybe Matthew had a sleepless night as well. Evan didn’t recall seeing him with any particular lady at the barbeque, but that didn’t mean much. Evan had been so caught up in watching Alison all evening, who knew how the other guys had fared.
Alison had put a damper on any thoughts he had of asking her out by inviting him over for dinner as friends. But he was a patient man. A little wooing, and she’d be his in no time. Compared to the way the women usually fell all over him and his buddies at Anchors, the thrill of the chase could be fun. And he had the distinct impression that Alison was a woman who’d love to be caught.
The storm last night had left debris littered all along the shoreline—seaweed, broken shells, and random detritus were scattered across the sand. He moved to the damp, compact sand closest to the water, avoiding the trail of debris left higher up. Anyone coming to the beach would be in for a surprise later on. They’d have to clear an area just to lay their towel down. Then again, high tide would be coming in a few hours, and much of it would be taken back out to sea.
Last night had been surreal. The Virginia Beach area flooded during hurricanes, but that had been just a summer storm blowing in from the ocean. The roads had been covered in several inches of water as he’d driven back home after dropping Alison off. He was glad he’d decided just to take her home—after navigating the streets in his SUV, he wouldn’t have felt comfortable letting a woman drive off alone in that deluge. Especially after finding out she only drove a small sedan. It was far too easy to lose control of your vehicle in that type of situation and get swept clear off the road. Plus, he now had the added benefit of seeing her again today.
The dinner invitation had come as a complete surprise. He’d have taken her over to get her car anyway—hell, that’s what he’d offered to do in the first place when he’d picked her up outside Patrick’s neighborhood. She’d seemed pretty intent on reminding him they were just friends, but that didn’t stop his need to pursue her. He’d go with the friendly vibe for a while, maybe sneak in a little harmless flirting. But one of these days, he fully intended on asking her out.
The chemistry between them on her front porch last night only solidified his interest in her. She’d looked so sweet and innocent gazing up at him, her cheeks flushed from running through the rain, her damp tank top clinging to her skin. He’d been a perfect gentleman, bending down for just a friendly kiss across her forehead. It had taken just about everything in him to turn away at that point. She smelled sweet—like oranges, or some other delicious fruit. Those green eyes had gazed up at him, and it was all he could do not to haul her inside her house, making love to her until the morning.
He would’ve gladly given up his morning run for a night—hell, many nights—in her bed, but he knew she wasn’t ready for that yet. Scooping her up into his arms and carrying her through the water had made him hard as a rock. He loved holding her to his chest, protecting her. If cradling her in his arms had felt that good, what would holding her against him so that all of their body parts perfectly aligned feel like? Feeling those breasts pressed up against his chest, her tight heat rubbing against his erection? He’d probably go insane.
Evan didn’t even know what Alison did for a living, but he sensed that she liked taking care of people. She’d mentioned a couple of times that she had two younger brothers, so she’d probably grown up watching out for them. Last night she hadn’t wanted Evan to walk her to the door because she was worried about him getting soaked. Then she’d offered to cook dinner for him since he’d driven her home and was giving her a ride to pick up her car today.
Hell, even if they were just going to be friends, she’d have to get used to Evan doing things for her. It was in his nature to look out for others,
to take care of people. And as for an attractive woman like Alison? There was no way he was going to stand around and watch her struggle when he could just as easily offer his assistance.
He glanced down at his watch and groaned. He’d told Alison he’d swing by her place after lunch so they could retrieve her car, but that was hours from now. He ran faster in the sand, his lungs burning as he pushed himself harder. The adrenaline coursing through him at the thought of seeing her again had to be dealt with in one way or another. He didn’t think she’d take too kindly to him ravishing her the moment he stepped foot inside her house, so he’d have to pound out his frustration the old fashioned way.
He only hoped he could change her mind about him sooner rather than later.
***
Alison opened the door that afternoon, her heart jolting at the sight of Evan standing there in cargo shorts and a dark tee shirt, a lazy grin on his face. Bronzed skin was set off by his cropped blond hair, but it was those turquoise blue eyes that drew her in. They were so bright it was practically impossible not to notice them as he watched her. He was holding a small bouquet of flowers, which was both charming and completely unnecessary. Not to mention kind of sweet. She felt a rush of pleasure at his thoughtfulness. He was here helping her, taking her to retrieve her car, and he’d brought flowers like they were going out on a date or something.
She smiled and thanked him, taking the colorful arrangement. His fingers brushed against hers, and for just a moment, she remembered him brushing his lips across her forehead the night before. This was so not the direction she envisioned the day going, but there you go. Evan had once again managed to surprise her.
She lifted the bouquet and inhaled the intoxicating scent. Mixed in with whatever cologne Evan had on, she was a goner. Would it be too late to suggest she’d just take a cab to pick up her car? That seemed to be a safer bet. Sitting in close quarters in Evan’s SUV seemed like the last thing she needed at the moment.
SEALed with a Kiss (Alpha SEALs Book 2) Page 3