Lately, he felt like he needed something more. Regret weighed on his chest from the way the evening had ended with Kenley and the dinner that never was. She hadn’t even let him escort her back to her car, and that didn’t sit well with him. Sure, she was a grown woman and could take care of herself, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t safely see her to where she was going.
He nodded to the waitress for a beer as he crossed the bar and then grabbed an empty seat at the table. The woman Brent had been talking to was now perched on his lap.
“Sure, I’d love to see those babies,” he laughed as she pushed out her ample chest.
“I’d love to show you,” she cooed.
Jesus. Could the woman be any more obvious? There was something entirely unappealing about women who came on too strong. Subtlety could work just fine, even for guys like them. Why didn’t she just strip in front of Brent and show him her goods right now? Hell.
“Who’s your friend?” the dark-haired beauty beside Matthew asked, coyly batting her lashes at him. She had on way too much make-up and a skintight top that left nothing to the imagination. Hell, he could probably guess her bra size in that thing.
“Are you deserting me already, darlin’?” Matthew asked, winking. The brunette laughed and appeared to be in no hurry to leave his side.
“Just weighing my options,” she teased, licking her lips suggestively. She leaned against the table, putting her ample cleavage on display. Even Brent’s attention flicked over.
“What’s your name?” she asked Mike, sending him a mega-watt smile.
Good God. Although her rack was a sight to behold, it had to be fake. There was nothing attractive about that. Mike’s mind flashed back to the sundress Kenley had on today—it skimmed over her curves just so, giving him a hint of what lay beneath but leaving plenty to the imagination. And hell if his imagination hadn’t been working overtime. He’d felt all her softness against him and knew she would be gorgeous. The rosiness of her lips was natural, not from some fancy, over-applied red lipstick. Would her nipples be that same rosy hue? He hardened just thinking about those full breasts of hers. He was dying to kiss and caress her, tasting, sucking her nipples into his mouth as he teased her. There was nothing he wanted more than Kenley crying out his name, begging him for more.
And after the abrupt dismissal she’d given him tonight? Hell, it made him want to chase after her even more. Even if she was uncertain around him at times, she wasn’t afraid to stand up to him or tell him off when necessary. She sure the hell didn’t throw herself at him like these overdone girls. And wasn’t that a refreshing change.
“Don’t worry about him,” Matthew said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Can I buy you another drink?”
“Maybe,” she giggled. “If you ask nicely.”
Mike resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
A loud raucous drew their attention from across the bar as two guys began arguing and shoving one another, a chair crashing to the floor. As one of the men stumbled backward, a woman behind him fell to the ground, caught in the melee. Her head connected with the edge of the table, which toppled over as well, sending plates, glasses, and bottles flying.
Mike, Matthew, and Brent rose instantly, hurrying toward the commotion. Matthew helped the woman up as several bystanders looked on. Brent grabbed hold of the guy throwing punches, fire in his eyes.
“Enough!” he roared.
The man struggled, but Brent had him down on the ground in an instant.
“Get some ice for her!” Mike called out to one of the bartenders as he noticed the thin line of blood trailing down the woman’s temple. He grabbed a clean napkin from a nearby table, tossing it to Matthew. “You two, out of here,” he growled at the men, gesturing toward the door.
“Who the hell are you!” the man still standing shouted.
Anger coursed through Mike as he stepped closer, adrenaline surging through his veins. “Get the fuck out of here now, before we throw you out.”
Brent yanked the guy on the ground up, causing him to wince in pain.
“Let’s just go,” the guy muttered.
The manager hurried over, checking to see how badly the woman was injured. “The police are on their way,” he said to Mike and his teammates. “These two were in here causing trouble last week.”
“They sure the hell won’t be here again,” Mike assured him, eyes blazing.
Sirens sounded in the distance, and the women they’d left at the table in the back waved goodbye and rushed out the front door. He and Matthew exchanged glances. “Underage?” Matthew questioned.
Hell. The women were in college but possibly not even twenty-one yet. Mike felt like an old man at thirty-two. He was too old to be playing these games in crowded bars with college girls. That’s all they were—girls. He wasn’t sure how old Kenley was, but she was definitely a woman. She had a job. A degree. Her own life. She sure didn’t throw herself at him, wanting only to bed a Navy SEAL. Hell, if anything, she pulled away from him.
A few guys he recognized from base restrained the men as the police rushed in the door, and Mike knelt down to the injured woman. Matthew handed him a flashlight. He had no idea where he’d gotten one and didn’t ask.
“Look at me,” Mike instructed, aiming the light at the woman’s pupils. She held the napkin to her temple, but fortunately, there didn’t seem to be too much blood. A few minutes later the EMTs rushed in as the police were handcuffing the suspects. Mike turned the woman over to them, rejoining his friends.
“Those assholes need to learn to hold their liquor,” Brent muttered. “That woman was hurt because of them.”
“She’ll be fine,” Mike assured Brent. “Small cut to the temple, no signs of concussion.”
Brent clenched his fists. “It makes me madder than hell to see dicks like them around. They didn’t even give a shit as to all the women standing right there.”
“I don’t think they’ll be coming back anytime soon,” Matthew said dryly.
Mike nodded grimly as they watched the policemen lead the two men away in handcuffs. The workers at Anchors began cleaning up the food and drinks that spilled, and Matthew cocked his head toward the bar. “You guys wanna grab something to eat before we split? We’ve got an early one tomorrow.”
“Why the hell not,” Mike agreed. He followed Matthew to the bar, Brent grumbling behind them.
“I could eat a horse,” Matthew commented as he sat down.
Mike raised his eyebrows. “What the hell did you do all day? I had to haul Christopher’s furniture around.”
Matthew chuckled. “Let’s just say I didn’t get much sleep last night. And that rounds two and three took place this morning.”
Brent slid onto a stool beside them, his eyes gleaming. “That hottie that I took home from the bonfire was a wild one in bed. I was almost tempted to get her number, ask her to come over again tonight.”
“So why didn’t you?” Mike asked.
“Not my MO, man. One night only.”
Mike resisted the urge to groan. Here Kenley seemed to think he was a jerk, but he wasn’t exactly going around sleeping with a different woman every night, now was he? Not that any of it seemed to make a damn bit of difference.
“How’d the move go anyway?” Matthew asked, ordering another beer.
Mike gave a brief update, leaving out the part of coming to the aid of Lexi and Kenley. He sure the hell didn’t need any more ribbing from Matthew or Brent tonight, not when the entire evening had left a sour taste in his mouth. He could’ve been having a nice dinner with Kenley right now, not breaking up bar brawls and listening to stories of the conquests his friends had made.
He rolled his shoulders, relieving some of the tension, and ordered some food. As soon as he ate, he was outta here.
Chapter 9
Kenley sighed as she shut her laptop the next evening. She’d had back-to-back interviews all day long, without even so much as a lunch break. The only upside was the sooner she f
inished filling the slots for the new contract they’d won in Norfolk, the sooner she could head home. So was that a good thing or not? At the moment, her spa day yesterday with Lexi felt like a million years ago.
She pulled out her phone, texting her best friend:
Crazy day but wanted to check in. How are you feeling today?
Lexi’s reply came back instantly:
Feeling much better. Christopher’s taking me out for a quiet dinner tonight.
Must be nice, Kenley thought. Then again, Mike had offered to take her out last night. Too bad he was such a pain in her ass. She texted a quick reply back to Lexi:
Sounds perfect. Have fun!
Kenley stood, gathering her belongings. After sitting all day long without a break, she wanted nothing more than a long hot bubble bath and some carry-out for dinner. And maybe a few glasses of wine. She was trying to decide between pizza or Chinese when her cell phone rang. It was the number of her office back in Arlington, so she answered before heading out for the night.
“How’d everything go today?” the head of HR asked.
“Great. I think we can make offers to several of the candidates. I’ll email the ones I’ve selected to you for final approval, and I can get the offer packets ready tomorrow if they accept.”
“Wonderful. I’m hoping we can expedite this. We need people starting on this contract immediately. Can you schedule a second interview this week for the candidates we select and then provide the offer letter and new hire materials to them then?”
“Um, maybe,” Kenley said, glancing at her stack of papers. That meant twice as much work for her. Normally the home office mailed out the HR materials for new hires. She’d brought a few packets down but didn’t have enough for everyone they’d be bringing onboard. And doing an additional round of interviews meant she’d be here twice as long.
“Do you have enough of the materials?”
“For a couple of the candidates, yes, but I don’t have enough for everyone. I don’t usually need them.”
“Of course. We can Fed-Ex them down. I don’t suppose I can convince you to drive back up tonight? Pick them up yourself?”
Kenley resisted the urge to groan. The drive to Northern Virginia was four hours from Virginia Beach. She could drive up there, spend the night at her apartment, and then leave early in the morning to get back for her first interview. It wasn’t exactly ideal though, especially considering she was already completely exhausted.
“We’ll pay you overtime, of course. Travel expenses, as well compensation for the hours spent driving. You’d be doing me a tremendous favor.”
“Yeah, I guess. How late will you be in the office?”
“I’ve got tons to do, so I’ll be here until at least nine. I’ll stay and wait for you though.”
“Uh, okay. I’ll leave here in a little while and drive up.”
“Wonderful. Thanks so much, Kenley. I really appreciate your willingness to go the extra mile.”
Kenley rolled her eyes. A couple hundred miles was more like it. One extra mile would’ve been nothing. She said goodbye and tucked her phone into her bag. She wouldn’t mind picking up some more work outfits from her apartment at home. And if she had to be back on the road bright and early tomorrow, well, that’s what Starbucks was for, right?
***
Mike groaned as he stepped onto the dock back on base, dripping wet. They’d conducted several hours of water drills, getting in dives and rescue simulations. Two boats now bobbed up and down in the ocean as drops of rain began to fall. The sky had darkened from an impending storm, the waters turning choppy during their last hour of training. As tired as he was, for once he was glad they wouldn’t have to deal with training in the middle of a storm. Normally he relished the challenge, but after several nights of not sleeping well, he felt like he was running on fumes.
He rolled his shoulders, easing the tension and ache in his muscles. Fucking hell. It wasn’t the day on base that had him stiff and sore, it was those damn sleepless nights. He’d spent his twenties up all night and training all day, but hell if the years weren’t catching up with him. He was getting too old for this.
“That was fucking spectacular,” Brent said, grinning as he peeled down the top of his wetsuit.
“Which part?” Mike asked dryly.
The entire afternoon had blurred into one long session as they dove again and again, practicing various water rescues. The idea had been to leave them drained and fatigued, preparing them for the unknowns they could face when out on an op. Mission accomplished.
“Are you kidding me?” Brent asked. “With the incoming storm, some of those swells were killer.”
“Literally,” Christopher said, dropping his gear on the ground.
Brent chuffed out a laugh. “Hell, there’s nothing better than that.”
“I’ve got to call Lexi when we get inside and let her know I’m running late,” Christopher said.
“Big plans?” Mike asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I’m taking her out for a romantic dinner. She needs it after her day yesterday.”
“Great idea, man,” Evan said as he walked by, slapping Christopher on the back. “I should take Ali out, too.”
Jesus, Mike thought. Those guys were totally whipped. They’d each just spent the weekend with their respective girlfriends. Hell, they lived with them. And the second they were back on dry land, they were ready to rush home to woo their women.
“Great job today, men,” Patrick said, climbing off of the boat as he addressed the team. “Everyone executed their maneuvers perfectly, with time to spare. Even with this storm rolling in and rougher waters, our times were good in each simulation. Job well done.”
The other man grunted in affirmation, with Christopher saying, “Thanks, Ice.”
Matthew walked up beside Mike as the men headed in to change. “Remember in the old days when we’d all go to Anchors after a day like today? Now half the team is heading home to their women,” he chuckled.
“Don’t I know it,” Mike agreed.
“I’ve got half a mind to call one of those pretty nurses from the bonfire,” Matthew said, grinning. “You want in? I could get her to bring a friend along. We could take them to dinner and then go our separate ways.”
“Nah, not tonight,” Mike said. A date with one of those women was literally the last thing he wanted at the moment.
“I heard that,” Brent called out. “You still fantasizing about Kenley?”
“I’m not anything with Kenley,” Mike ground out, clenching his teeth.
“She was pretty hot; I’d do her,” Brent taunted, a gleam in his eye.
“Fucking hell, asshole,” Mike spat out over his shoulder. “She’s off limits.”
“Don’t care, huh?” Brent smirked.
Mike muttered under his breath as they walked into base. That guy needed to learn to watch his mouth. He’d laid it on every man on the team at one point or another, and sometimes that shit got old. Some days he and his teammates fought like brothers, but with Brent always running his mouth, he was going to get his ass whipped at some point.
Patrick caught up with them as they walked inside, heading for the locker room. “Did everything go okay last night?”
“With what?” Matthew asked.
“Everything’s fine,” Mike ground out. Yeah. If a woman leaving you standing by yourself on the sidewalk and shouting at you to leave her alone was anyone’s definition of “fine.”
“Mike drove Kenley home. Those two are so hot and cold I’m waiting for one of them to spontaneously combust.”
“Keep waiting,” Mike muttered.
“You had a date, huh? She’s a sweet little thing,” Matthew drawled.
Mike chuffed out a laugh. “Definitely not a date,” he said. “She was with Lexi, and I ended up giving her a lift back to her car. End of story.”
“Uh-huh,” Matthew grinned. “And I’ve given up playing the field.”
Patrick laughed. “
From what I can tell, Mike’s all but smitten with Kenley. They might as well send out the wedding invitations now. And that means you could be next,” he added pointedly.
“Not a chance in hell,” Matthew laughed.
Yeah, Mike thought, because three men on their SEAL team tied down in relationships wasn’t enough. He had no intention of becoming the fourth.
Mike showered and changed in the locker room, pulling his civilian clothes back on. He couldn’t decide if he needed caffeine or some shut-eye more. This day was wearing on him. He slammed his locker shut, ready to call it a night. Matthew was on his cell phone making plans with one of the nurses, but Mike waved as he headed out the door.
Fat raindrops had begun to fall from the sky as he jogged across the parking lot on base. He waved to Patrick, who was already pulling out to head home. Ducking into his SUV, Mike started the engine. It was almost seven, which meant he’d been on base for almost twelve hours. Hell of a way to start the week. He tossed his gym bag onto the passenger seat and maneuvered out of the lot, heading home.
Twenty minutes later he was pulling into his driveway. He’d rented a small townhouse near the quieter side of town last year and had enjoyed every second of the peace and quiet—not to mention the extra space. Funnily enough, it wasn’t too damn far from that condo Kenley had been staying in. Her parents’ condo. Not that he’d tell her that. She’d probably check into a hotel on the beach if she knew he was so close by.
Grabbing his gear, he ran to the front door, sheets of rain coming down from the sky. His shirt was soaked by the time he reached the safety of the front porch. He pulled his cell phone and house keys from his pocket, ready to head in, and was surprised to see three missed calls on the screen from Kenley.
Not even bothering to unlock the door, he stayed on the porch as he dialed his voicemail, sensing something was wrong. Even if she’d had a sudden change of heart and wanted to see him, there’s no way she’d call three times in the span of an hour unless there was an emergency.
A SEAL's Seduction (Alpha SEALs Book 4) Page 8