by Paige Tyler
“I’m glad.” He opened the bottle and took a swig of beer then looked around. “Do you need any help with dinner?”
She grinned. “I’m making you dinner, remember? Besides, everything is already in the oven.”
Picking up a chip, she dipped it into the fresh salsa then popped it into her mouth. On the other side of the island, Logan did the same.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think these were homemade,” he said.
“They are. I made them. The salsa, too.”
“You made chips and salsa?” He regarded her in awe. “Okay, consider me impressed.”
“They’re actually very easy to make.”
“For you, maybe. I’m the guy who can burn things in a microwave, remember?” He helped himself to another chip. “How’d you get so good at it?”
Felicia laughed. “I’m a wedding planner, and when my partner and I first started our business, we had to do all our own catering, including making wedding cakes. We both honed our skills in the kitchen really fast.”
He glanced at her as he scooped up some salsa on his chip. “How’d you end up as a wedding planner? Did you go to college, or was it an on-the-job thing?”
His question surprised her. The guys she usually dated freaked when they found out she was a wedding planner. It was like they were afraid she was sizing them up for tuxedos the moment they met.
“I have a BA in hospitality management, but learned most of what I know after I got my first job,” she told him. “The biggest thing you have to be able to do is multi-task. Cooking, baking, sewing, counseling, money management—you have to do it all. My partner Heather and I have seen everything from the mothers of the bride and groom throwing cake at each other to the best man texting during the ceremony. Right now, we’re helping a crazy bride who insists on having a sunrise wedding on the beach even though she never gets out of bed before noon.”
Logan chuckled. “That seems fraught with problems.”
“No kidding. She’s driving Heather and me insane.” Felicia sipped her wine cooler. “You ready to eat dinner?”
If they didn’t, she’d end up helping him devour the whole bowl of tortilla chips.
“I didn’t know what you’d prefer, so I made chicken, beef, and veggie burritos,” she said as she carried the casserole dish over to the table. “Which would you like?”
“You pick first,” he said. “I’ll take whatever’s left.”
Felicia did a double take. A guy who let her have first choice? She didn’t think men like him existed anymore.
“I appreciate it, but it’s not an either or thing.” She sat down across from him. “I made several of each.”
The look of wonderment was back on Logan’s face. “If I’d known all I had to do to get a homemade meal like this was to save a woman from Russian kidnappers, I would have done it a long time ago.”
She put both a chicken burrito and a beef one on his plate. “It would have been a lot easier if you’d seen me around town and asked me out. I would have gladly made dinner for you—no Russian kidnappers required.”
He regarded her with interest. “You really would have said yes if I’d walked up to you in the grocery store and asked you out?”
Felicia almost laughed. He honestly didn’t know how insanely hot he was, did he?
“I really would have said yes,” she told him matter-of-factly.
Hell, as good looking as he was, she might have asked him out.
Across from her, Logan used his fork to cut into the beef burrito. “You impressed me with how you handled yourself the other day, you know.”
She grimaced. “I was scared out of my mind.”
He looked at her. “But you did what you thought necessary to save your sister. That’s all that matters.”
Felicia blushed at the blatant admiration she saw in his eyes. “I didn’t get around to asking the other day. What kind of work do you do in the Navy?”
“I’m a SEAL.”
She blinked. A SEAL? Um, wow! Despite living in San Diego all her life, she knew jack about the Navy, but even she knew about SEALs. They were like superheroes or something. She wasn’t surprised to hear Logan was one. In her mind, he was standard-issued hero material.
“Are you from San Diego originally?” she asked.
He shook his head. “North Carolina. These burritos are really good, by the way.”
She cut into her chicken burrito. “You don’t have much of a Southern accent.”
“I used to,” he admitted. “I lost most of it after I joined the Navy and traveled around.”
“Did you always want to be a SEAL?”
His mouth edged up. “Not really. My father is retired Army, and figured I’d follow in his footsteps like my two older brothers did, but instead I shocked the hell out of everyone and enlisted in the Navy. I’ve always been a rebel. Plus, I really love the water.”
Felicia cringed. “I don’t know much about the military, but I can’t imagine it went over too well with your dad.”
Logan chuckled as he pushed away his empty plate. “Not at first. But he’s okay with it, now.”
As she finished eating, he made her laugh, regaling her with stories about being the only sailor in a family of soldiers.
“My dad and brothers still crow like roosters every time Army beats Navy in football,” he added. “My mom usually ends up playing referee.”
Even though she insisted he sit, Logan helped her clear the table after dinner. They worked surprisingly well together, not getting in each other’s way even once. She and Stef couldn’t even do it.
“I have cake for dessert,” she said as she transferred the leftover burritos to a plastic container. “Want some?”
Logan flashed her a grin. “I never say no to dessert.”
In the living room, Chewy lifted his head from the couch at the mention of dessert, but then put it back down on his paws again after figuring out he wouldn’t get any of it.
When she took one small cake out of the fridge then three others—each a different flavor—his eyes widened.
“Tell me you didn’t make all these cakes for me.”
She laughed. “No. These are samples different caterers give my partner and me in the hope we’ll hire them to make wedding cakes. Perks of the business.”
They sat at the kitchen table for the next two hours tasting the different cakes and talking about everything from what kind of movies they liked to whether the Chargers would make the Super Bowl. It was refreshing to be with a guy who didn’t think sports were strictly a male domain.
She’d opened her mouth to suggest they go into the living room when Logan asked if she wanted to go for a walk on the beach.
“It seems a shame to live this close to the ocean and not make use of it,” he added.
Felicia couldn’t remember the last time she’d been out for a romantic stroll on the sand, and she couldn’t think of a better guy to do it with.
She smiled. “I’d love to.”
It was a short two-block walk to the beach. When they got there, they kicked off their shoes and left them behind some rocks so they could walk across the wet sand barefoot. The moonlight reflected off the gentle surf, making the already perfect evening seem more magical, and before long, they held hands.
They were talking about which sampler cake was their favorite when Logan suddenly stopped and turned her to face him. Even in the dark, she couldn’t mistake the hunger in his eyes.
He was going to kiss her.
Pulse skipping a beat, she went up on tiptoe, meeting him halfway.
When his mouth came down on hers, she moaned, loving the way the salty sea spray on his lips mixed with the hint of chocolate still left on his tongue from the cakes they’d sampled. But the delicious, masculine taste uniquely Logan’s was even more powerful than either of those. She ran her hands up the front of his T-shirt, exploring the muscles beneath as she savored every little bit of him.
One hand slid into her long
hair while the other glided down her back to cup her ass through the thin material of her dress and sending tingles chasing all over her body. That was when she noticed the solid and very sizable bulge in the front of his cargo shorts. Knowing he was as turned on as she was made her whimper out loud.
She’d never done anything as crazy as make out on the beach before, even one that was deserted at this time of night. But as Logan trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck, she decided that maybe she should be open to new experiences.
Logan lifted his head and slowly spun her around until she faced the ocean, her back pressed tightly against him. His arms came around her, wrapping around her middle and tugging her closer until her ass was firmly against the hard-on in his shorts.
She let her head fall back on his muscular chest, rotating her hips ever so slightly. Logan pressed his lips to the curve of her neck with a groan, one hand cupping her breast. It would be so easy to do it right here on the beach in the dark. She could lift the back of her dress while he unzipped his shorts. They could stand like this and no one would have a clue. Until she cried out in pleasure, of course.
The idea of doing something so crazy shocked her. She liked playing it safe, especially when it came to men. But being with a man as gorgeous, sexy, and perfect as Logan made her want to do all kinds of insane stuff she’d never tried before.
She was trying to decide whether to reach back and undo his zipper herself or simply resort to begging him to take her right there on the beach when Logan leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“You’re starting to shiver. We should go back to your apartment.”
Felicia wanted to tell him her shivering had nothing to do with the cold breeze coming off the waves and everything to do with him, but she could only nod. Was it too much to hope he’d suggest they go somewhere more private?
But when they got to her apartment and she asked if he wanted to come in, he shook his head.
“I want to, I really do,” he murmured, his voice low and sexy. “More than you could possibly imagine.”
Felicia doubted it. Her imagination was working overtime right about then.
“But if I go inside with you, we’re going to pick up where we left off at the beach,” he added.
“Is that so bad?” she countered.
He chuckled softly. “Not at all. But I think maybe we should take our time. Call me crazy, but I’m getting the feeling we have a spark. It might be nice to see where it goes if we let it.”
The part of her that wanted to rip his clothes off on the beach was bummed, but the part that liked to take her time when it came to relationships was thrilled she might finally have found a guy who felt the same way she did about these things.
She smiled. “I’m good with that. I don’t mind taking our time.”
Logan kissed her long and slow, and the touch of his lips was almost enough to make her change her mind.
He pulled away to grin down at her. “One of the guys on the Team is having a promotion party and cookout on Sunday at his place. Would you’d like to go with me? If it isn’t too soon to go out again, I mean.”
Too soon? Heck, she was ready to go on another date right now.
“I’d love to,” she said.
He leaned in for another kiss. “I’ll pick you up at noon.”
Felicia leaned back against the door and watched Logan walk to his SUV. Sunday couldn’t come fast enough.
Chapter Six
THE COUPLE HOSTING the party—the SEAL from the warehouse named Chasen and his girlfriend Hayley—lived in a cute apartment complex about thirty minutes from Felicia’s condo. She was excited to meet Logan’s teammates even though she was still a little confused about how the whole promotion thing worked in the Navy.
“Explain to me again why the guy who’s getting promoted has to pay for his own party,” she said when Logan came around to open the passenger door for her. “It seems kind of backward.”
Logan chuckled as they walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk in front of the building. “It’s a very old military tradition. The person getting promoted is expected to spend the difference between his old rank and his new rank on the party as a way of sharing his good fortune with his Teammates, typically, in the form of free food and alcohol.”
Felicia shook her head, still not understanding. “It must be a guy thing.”
He stopped to pull her in for a kiss. “Did I tell you that you look beautiful?”
She wore another sleeveless dress, this one in a colorful boho print. “Yes, but I don’t mind if you want to tell me again.” She took in his cargo shorts and dark blue T-shirt with a smile. “You look pretty darn good yourself.”
Instead of heading for the entrance of the building, Logan led her around the back of the complex to the grassy common area set up with chairs, picnic tables, and grills. From the looks of all the people there, the party was already in full swing.
Logan placed the bean and cheese dip she’d made on the table with the rest of the food then introduced her to everyone. Felicia recognized Nash and Dalton from the warehouse, but there were at least a dozen more SEALs. She tried to commit all their names to memory, but after a while they got lost in the sea of buff Navy hunks. If she wasn’t so stuck on Logan already, Felicia would have been in serious danger of stepping on her bottom lip and tripping herself.
“Are all these guys on SEAL Team 5?” she asked Logan.
He nodded. “Chasen, Nash, Dalton, Holden, Wes, Dean, and Kurt are the only ones in my platoon though.” When she looked at him confusion, he added, “SEAL Team 5 is made up of eight smaller groups called platoons, and there are sixteen guys in each platoon.”
Okay, she seriously needed a handbook to keep track of all this. She was a little surprised at how many of the guys were at the party solo, though. But besides Dalton, who was with a California surfer girl named Summer, and Kurt and his wife Melissa, none of the others seemed to have significant others.
“Chasen told me what happened with you and your sister,” Hayley said when Logan introduced her. “I’m glad you two are okay.”
Felicia smiled. “Thanks to Logan.” She glanced at him. “If it weren’t for him and the other guys, Stef and I probably wouldn’t be here right now.”
Hayley waved her hand. “They’re paid to be heroic. I’m more impressed with you, Felicia. You seriously shoved a gun in Logan’s back and took him hostage? Now, that’s what I call epic.”
“More like desperate,” Felicia said.
“Well, I want to hear all about it,” Hayley said. “Come sit down.”
So she and Logan sat at one of the picnic tables with Hayley, Chasen, Kurt, and Melissa, and told the other two couples the whole story. While they all agreed with Logan and Hayley about Felicia being incredibly brave, Felicia was more awestruck with how Hayley and Chasen had met. Between the Boko Haram capturing Hayley and threatening her with execution, and a rescue in the pitch black of night, it sounded like something out of a movie.
“How did you guys meet?” Felicia asked Melissa and Kurt when Hayley and Chasen had finished.
Melissa glanced at her husband, her dark eyes dancing. “He balanced a ball on his nose to impress me.”
Beside Felicia, Logan did a double take.
“Wait. What?” he said.
“How come we never heard about it?” Chasen asked, looking equally stunned.
Kurt scowled. “Because it’s need-to-know, and you don’t need to know.”
His answer didn’t stop Logan and Chasen from badgering him for more details. Finally, Kurt muttered something about a SEAL named Wes manning the grill.
“I’d better check on the kid before he burns the burgers,” he said.
Logan and Chasen exchanged looks, something unspoken passing between them. A moment later, they both announced they’d be right back then followed Kurt, clearly determined to get their friend to spill the beans.
“Did Kurt really balance a ball on his nose?” Hayley asked M
elissa after the guys took off.
Melissa nodded. “He came to my classroom for career day, and my first-graders insisted if he were a real seal, he could balance a ball on his nose. So he did.”
Felicia laughed, trying to picture the dark-haired SEAL doing something so cute to impress his future wife.
“It took me a while to realize it, but I fell in love with him right then,” Melissa added.
Felicia sipped her iced tea. “When did you and Kurt get married?”
“Nineteen ninety-four.” Melissa regarded her thoughtfully. “Being with a SEAL isn’t always easy, not with the kind of job they do. But if you fall in love with one, it’s worth it.”
Beside Felicia, Hayley nodded. “What Logan, Chasen, and the other guys did the other day in the warehouse is typical everyday stuff for a SEAL.”
Felicia had thought she knew what SEALs did for a living, but she discovered her knowledge base was dreadfully inadequate. According to Hayley and Melissa, SEALs were in every craphole around the world at that moment. It didn’t take a genius to figure out this was the other women’s way of giving her a heads-up in case this thing between her and Logan turned into something more. She could appreciate that.
Logan, Chasen, and Kurt came back a little while later, though whether they’d gotten Kurt to talk was anyone’s guess. Melissa and Kurt’s fourteen-year-old daughter Madison and sixteen-year-old twin boys Kayden and Ashton showed up a few minutes later. Dark-haired like their parents, Madison had Kurt’s blue eyes while Kayden’s and Ashton’s were brown like Melissa’s.
“Did you tell everyone yet?” Madison asked her parents excitedly.
“Not yet.” Melissa smiled her husband. “Do you want to do the honors?”
Kurt grinned back then looked around at the rest of them. “I’m retiring.”
“No way!”
A chorus of incredulity followed that exclamation. Felicia glanced over her shoulder to see Nash, Dalton, and the other SEALs gathered around the table.
Kurt slipped his arm around Melissa, his grin broadening. “You better believe it. I already filed my paperwork. Six months then I’m going ashore.”