Keeping It: A Navy SEAL meets Virgin Romance

by Rachel Robinson

  With deadly purpose, I march toward the hangar. Mentally flipping through all the jealous insults I can’t say for fear of being judged by my friend, and they would offend Caroline in a way I’d never dream of.

  Their backs are toward me when I stop at the wide opening. “You didn’t reply to my text,” I growl. A greeting would be too easy, too simple.

  Aidan spins first, his eyes wide, and fists clenched and ready. Caroline merely turns her head, a wide, lovesick smile on her face when she sees me. Guilt washes away any trace of envy.

  Her cheeks pink as she stands and covers her mouth with a dainty, grease covered hand. “The phone,” she exclaims. “It’s in my bed. I’m not used to carrying something like that around with me. I’m so sorry. You messaged me?” Her blue eyes are clear and hopeful. If Aidan didn’t realize I had her so completely before, he does now—his narrowed eyes and pinched mouth a clear indicator of defeat. “What does it say?” she says, lowering her hand to show black streaks now on her face.

  I tilt my head toward my friend. “We’re in mixed company right now,” I say as an explanation. “Read it later.”

  “Aidan knows a lot about airplanes. I didn’t realize that jumping out of them and working on them went hand in hand,” she explains looking between us.

  “Not all of us have that kind of interest,” Aidan replies, a small smirk appearing as he looks at Caroline. “I’ve always loved aircrafts.”

  “Why didn’t you become a Navy Pilot then?” she asks, genuinely curious.

  We both scoff. This is common ground. “SEALs have more fun,” Aidan says, relaying both of our sentiments, exactly. “It’s the hardest thing you can do in the Navy.”

  She shuffles one foot forward and backward. “It’s not like you guys are having that much fun here,” she says, but it’s more of a question. “I had the news on last night and there’s a lot going on over on the West Coast. SEALs are always handling something it seems.”

  She looks up at me. “Not that I watch the news very often, but I was curious.”

  Aidan says something about how he’s glad he’s in Florida because of the operation tempo. “There’s plenty of stuff going on that’s not on the news, Caroline. We’re all happy to be here for more than one reason.”

  Aidan clears his throat. “I’ll see you next Friday,” he says, gaze lingering on her face longer than I’m comfortable with. She responds with her sweet smile. “I’ll have this part taken apart by then. You can take a look when you have down time,” she says, gazing at the huge metal piece like a mad scientist. Aidan says goodbye, lets his eyes slide to me briefly, and exits into the sunshine.

  “You forgave him awful quickly,” I growl.

  She spins, a screw driver in one hand and the other perched on her hip. “Well, he does know a lot about airplanes. That sped things up a touch. Women never forget, Tyler,” she says, using my given name, sending a shock of lust to my dick.

  Swallowing, I let my eyes skirt down her midsection down her tan, bare legs. “Why are you wearing a dress to do work? It’s almost as if you’re showing off for someone.”

  Her lips form a thin line. “Just because I’m a woman who can turn a wrench doesn’t mean I’m not a woman. It is too hot for pants. Shorts are restricting. Plus, I was in the office going through accounting stuff for most of the morning.”

  “Don’t make excuses on my behalf,” I reply, grinning. “Unless you say you wore it for me. Because you know how much I want to fuck you when you have it on.”

  Her blue eyes widen the moment her mouth pops open. “Is that what the text message said?” she says, voice a small whisper.

  I move in, and use my thumb to try to smear the black grease spot off her face. “In some form or another. Yes,” I reply. Caroline licks her lips. Sighing, I say, “What time is dinner? I have a dumpster arriving at the B and B in a couple hours,” I say, looking at my watch. Now that I have the mission, I have a lot of planning to do and not a second to waste. “I’ll pick you up after and we can ride up the hill together?”

  She grins. “You’re catching on.”

  I shrug. “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?”

  “The kind that kisses his girlfriend even though she’s covered in grease?” she replies. My heart does that melty thing it tends to do anytime she says something so sweet. Leif is right, my fucking testosterone is being demolished a little day by day.

  Leaning over, I press my lips against hers. She tastes like fresh air, and the indescribable scent that is…Caroline. She pulls closer, but I don’t let her, breaking the kiss before it truly begins. It gets harder and harder to remember why I wanted to wait to fuck her. Quite literally. “Tonight after dinner, how about we go a little faster? Your place?” I say, tone low. “I need more of you.” Does she know what it costs to ask? That it causes me physical pain to not have her in all ways?

  “A little faster?” she asks, breathless, dropping the screwdriver on the cement floor to place both hands on my chest. “What does that mean exactly?”

  My breaths come quicker as her question sparks a million ideas of what I want to do to her and with her. “It means you trust me not to fuck you tonight.”

  She nods, complete compliance, utter infatuation with the idea of fucking me. It’s so obvious anyone can see it. I wish Aidan was here right now. “Careful with Aidan,” I say.

  She smirks. “I only want you.”

  “Doesn’t mean he won’t try.” He’s a solid player—weaseling in at any sign of interest. I’d pat him on the back on a normal day. Now, I’ll sleep with both eyes open.

  “Stake your claim,” she retorts.

  I raise my eyebrows. “Okay then.”

  She swallows hard, and backs away. “You’re finished jumping for the day?”

  I nod. “See you in a bit.”

  “I’m going to clean up,” she replies.

  “Not too much,” I say, biting my bottom lip as my eyes drop to the hem of her dress. “I like you dirty.”

  Turning, I adjust my uncomfortable hard on, and head back to my troop. Tonight. Tonight. Tonight. The beast, the old Tahoe can come out to play, just a little. Enough to give her pleasure and enough to tamp down the lust coursing through my veins.

  Just the tip.

  ****

  May cracks another joke about the military. He doesn’t mean to be offensive, it’s just that jokes are the only things these people know about the military. With the closest large base four hours away, little trickles down this far. Caroline, wearing another goddamn sundress, sits next to me at the long table in a fine dining room. Her mom buzzes around the room clearing dishes and refilling glasses that are perfectly full.

  “Mama,” Caroline croons. “Sit down. You’re not working right now, remember?” It’s a reminder her mom responds to. She takes her seat opposite me, and settles in to take a bite of pasta that’s probably cold.

  “How was the air today, Tyler?” May asks, sipping his Budweiser from a tall, iced glass. “Looked mighty fine from the ground.”

  I nod. “It was good flying today. We got in almost a dozen jumps. I think once a week will be perfect. Thank you again for letting us use the airport. The space is perfect.” Caroline’s hand snakes over to squeeze my upper thigh. Either she’s worried about me talking about work or she can’t keep her hands off me. “Our pilot was pleased with the set up and everyone was happy.”

  “How could we possibly say no to the generous offer?” he chortles. Caroline looks down. I knew it was a foregone conclusion when we made the monetary offer, but leave it to her to string me along for a glorious month. The month she made me fall for her due to sheer stubbornness.

  Leaning back in my seat, I wrap one arm around Caroline’s wooden chair back. “I’m not sure you could have refused,” I reply, glancing from May to Caroline. “We wanted it pretty badly.”

  “You sure did, son. And because of it we don’t have to worry about the bills anymore!” he exclaims loudly, one hand slappi
ng the table.

  Caroline shakes her head, laying a hand across her forehead. “Daddy. Subtlety has never been your strong suit. He’s a business partner now. Try to be professional.”

  In that moment, the switch is thrown. Dad mode. “A business partner is he? That why your hand is on his leg, is it? Why we’re eating dinner together as a family, huh? That why he looks at you like you hung the moon? He’s a business partner then? Nothing more than that?” May dares her to challenge him, a narrowed grimace on his face. When Caroline takes a small bite of food he says, “That’s what I thought.”

  “Tell us about yourself Tyler. Other than the glowing praise Caroline has given you, we don’t know who you are,” Mrs. May says, taking this as a prime opportunity to ask the hard questions. Clearing my throat, I set down my fork. “Well, ma’am, I grew up all over the world. My father is a Navy man himself. We never lived in any one place longer than a couple of years. They’ve settled in Chico, California.” I lift and lower one shoulder. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters by blood, but the Teams have given me a slew of brothers.” Mrs. May is smiling when I finish my explanation, and I hope that’s as much as I’ll have to talk about my career path.

  “Taking up after your Daddy. I like that,” Mr. May says, glancing to his daughter with a fond look. “You’re liking Bronze Bay then? Going to hang around for a while?”

  Caroline snakes her hand away, and clasps her hands in her lap. “It’s hard for some to fathom why someone like me would like to stay in a small town in Florida, but when you’ve lived the life I’ve lived, sir, you begin to appreciate the small, important things in life. You know when you have a good thing. A perfect thing. A beautiful thing. Something you want to keep,” I explain, reaching under the table to take her hand in mine. “Bronze Bay opened my eyes to a whole new way of life. I love it here.”

  “Love is a pretty strong word,” Mrs. May declares, her mouth quirking up in one corner. “It is a lovely place, though. We do know that Caroline loves Bronze Bay as much as we do.”

  Caroline tucks a strand of blonde, wild hair behind her ear. “Though I’m thinking I’d like to see other places.”

  “Oh,” May asks. “You always said no sense flying anywhere when you couldn’t get back the same day. This man got you thinking about branching out a bit?”

  She swallows hard. “His stories are pretty amazing,” Caroline says meekly. “Things I’d like to see for myself, that’s all. Not on a screen, but with my own eyes.”

  It’s the first she’s mentioned it, not that I’m surprised. She has the flying bug. I’m sure it’s only a small nudge to create a traveling bug, too. “We could start in New York?” I say.

  “Really?” she says, eyes lighting.

  “That’s not safe. It’s not safe at all in them, there big cities,” Mr. May remarks.

  Mrs. May lays a hand on his arm. “She’ll be with Tyler, honey. How much safer could she possibly be?” At least mama bear catches on quickly.

  I put one hand on my chest. “I’d never let anything happen to Caroline, Sir. Trust that. I’d protect her with my own life.”

  You could hear a pin drop in that living room. The crickets chirping outside make their presence known in our acute silence. Caroline is staring at me, bottom lip pouting out. I’d kiss her if we weren’t sitting at her parents table, and by the way she licks her lips, she knows it. “I haven’t told you about the trip I have to take next week. How about we fly up there a little early and check it out?”

  Her eyes slant down in the corner. “Oh, you’re leaving?” Her mom and dad are talking to each other, ostensibly about Caroline going to New York and my credentials of caring for her safety.

  I squeeze her hand. “For a few weeks. A quick trip. It will be like I’m not even gone.”

  Her eyes widen. “Three weeks is a quick trip?”

  A rumble of a laugh shakes my body, I touch her arm lightly. “I won’t have to do this a lot. I’m kind of, ah, filling in for someone. Don’t worry,” I coax. “Hey, what do you say? Do you want to go paint the town red with me? It will be a quick flight. You can even fly us if you want to scare me again.”

  She smiles. “How can I say no to that?” I release her when I realize every single word and move are being scrutinized by her parents. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Caroline is still caught up in us, so she isn’t aware.

  “I found out today,” I say loudly, including everyone in the conversation. “We have a block of rooms at a very nice, very safe hotel in Manhattan. I assure you despite our presence there, that city is one of the most protected in the country. The problems we’ll be dealing with are on the outskirts.” Lie. Lie. Lie. “You’ve never been there, right?” I ask Caroline.

  Shaking her head, she says, “Of course not! Shirley is going to die when I tell her. She’s always wanted to go! Oh my gosh.” A woman who flies airplanes, but hasn’t visited a bustling city mere hours away boggles my mind, but I’m learning. Caroline has quirks and hang-ups like any other woman. Hers are just, not as…normal. Or, at least not what I’m used to.

  “She can come if she wants,” I offer, hoping she declines. The prospect of having her all to myself in a different atmosphere fills me with anticipation. “I can show you both around. I’ve been there quite a lot over the years. There’s so much to see,” I explain.

  “He goes from business partner to showing our baby around one of the biggest cities in the world,” May says, tone droll.

  “Now, now, dear. Remember the time we went to the city? How much fun we had? I think it will be an amazing experience for her.”

  Caroline interrupts. “I’m not a baby, daddy. Not even close. I’m a full-grown woman capable of touring a big city all by myself if I wanted to.” She wouldn’t do that, we all know that. May nods his head, because even he knows when not to push a woman. “I’d love to go with you, Tahoe,” Caroline says, sliding her head to meet my gaze, and then bounces back to look at her mom. “As long as mama can live without me at the diner.”

  Her mom squints, like Caroline’s words sting her on soul level. “Of course, the diner can live without you. Never feel like the restaurant is holding you back, honey.”

  Mr. May clears his throat. “You should know better. Your mama can replace you anytime you want. We both know you’re going to want to spend more time at the airport as I ease my way out. We were expecting you to call it quits before now to be honest. You’ve been so busy working on that apartment, and with hurricane season approachin’ you’re about to get even busier I’d reckon.”

  Caroline looks down at her lap and our entwined hands. “If you say so,” she replies softly.

  “Whatever you want, darlin’,” Mrs. May says. “You definitely need to go on that trip. Shirley can cover for you when I can’t.”

  Mr. May swigs back the rest of his beer. “You’ll take care of her then?” he asks.

  I hold up my hand, palm facing outwards. “On my honor, sir.”

  He nods. I nod back. Mrs. May laughs, and claps her hands together. “This is such exciting news. I knew you were going to be a good thing for her, I didn’t imagine you’d be the one to open up the world.”

  “Her world is already open. I’m excited to show her another piece of it,” I reply, using caution with my words. When I dated Stella, I was constantly reminded that words matter. As infuriating and frustrating it was to get my language just so, I suppose the usefulness carried over. Words are, quite literally, forever.

  Caroline sulks, arms folded, bottom lip inside her mouth. “You approve then?” she says. A beat or two passes before I realize she’s asking her parents if they approve of me.

  “We know he’s capable of making you happy,” May says, looking at me. “Maybe he doesn’t fly planes, but he jumps out of them so I guess that counts for something.”

  “He commits,” Mrs. May announces, interrupting her husband. My palms sweat at her proclamation, but isn’t that exactly what I did from the moment I decided to befrie
nd Caroline? First, I committed to infiltrating her life—getting the airport. Next came the complicated part, deciding she was worth the risk. The ultimate commitment.

  “Mom, please. That’s presumptuous,” Caroline whispers.

  She tsks in response. “You are a gem. A prize in this world. We spoke about this already. I think you two make a terrific couple and we’re happy for you. Commitment is important, honey. It’s what separates the men from the boys.” Mrs. May glances at me, winking slyly.

  I’m sure the gesture is her rendition of a threat and that’s all well and good, but I don’t need her threats. The threat looming inside my chest is enough to propel me into this relationship full steam ahead.

  When I was growing up, I was aware I was an all or nothing type of boy. That quality carried over to my teens, and then my carousing in adulthood. Merely joining the Navy like my Dad wasn’t good enough. I needed to work my way into the most elite tier of the military. I was all in. When I was hunting pussy, I was all in. When any goal presented itself, I crushed it. It’s a strong character trait on a good day and a debilitating disease the next. Right now, I’ve committed to making sure Caroline’s heart is cared for properly. Fucking her too soon and I’m doing a disservice to her and to my own intentions. Waiting too long, and I’m asking for trouble from every other swinging dick in this town that wants a piece of her. Middle ground is what I’m searching for and hoping to land on. Tonight. After this dinner.