Reminding The SEAL (Navy SEAL Military Romance)

by Milena Fenmore

  Chapter Five

  They hadn’t spoken in three days. Lee-Ann stayed in her room most for the time. She could hear him enter and leave his room. He swam at one point, early one morning. She’d heard the splash in the pool and had gone to her window to see who it was. She should have known it was Joshua. She watched as he made his laps, the muscles in his shoulders and arms rippling through the water. Unable to tear her eyes away, she observed him climb out of the pool, the water dripping off his torso.

  There were eight muscles that made up his belly, not six like the other guys she’s seen. She hadn’t meant to count them, it happened without her thinking it. Then, just above the skimpy speedo he had on, dipped his V-line. Her breath caught, and when she expelled it, she found herself breathing heavier than before. Then something happened. As if he sensed her, he looked up at her window and she could not look away. For a long minute, their eyes locked, then he broke the spell by picking up his towel and turning away.

  That event made it more difficult to face him. That moment when their eyes locked, what was he thinking? What was she thinking? Was she thinking or reacting to his physique? He looked amazing. She had been mesmerized by what she saw. The image of Joshua getting out of the pool with his body glistening with the water, she could not get out of her mind. That was two days ago, the day after she bought the car.

  She was only just contemplating her options when her cell phone rang. She picked it up on the third ring.

  “Speak to me,” she always answered that way when she was in a lousy mood.

  “Hey, I’ve got the perfect guy for you,” Gracie sounded excited.

  “Not in the mood to meet anyone, Gracie,” her sour mood registered in her tone.

  “What’s wrong Lee?”

  “Nothing.”

  Gracie sighed, “Just meet him once and if you don’t like him, then don’t go out with him.”

  “I don’t know,” she said quietly, lying on her back on the bed.

  “Think about it. I’ve got to go. Jason is waiting,” Gracie hung up and she dropped the phone on the bed beside her.

  Jason was Gracie’s boyfriend. They’d been dating for about six months. Sometimes, she felt like a third wheel when she was with them so she asked Gracie not to invite her on their dates. Jason seemed to prefer it that way too. She knew why Gracie was setting her up, so that they could double date.

  Meeting a guy was the last thing on her mind lately. Joshua ignoring her since he kissed her bothered her a lot. Was he mad at her or something? She should confront him about it. With her mind made up, Lee-Ann finally left her room and headed downstairs. She was halfway down the stairs when she heard voices in the living room. Curious, she ventured there. There was a blond girl, a few years older sitting on the couch, while her mother was seated across from her in a chair.

  “You finally left your room,” her mother smiled.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Come, meet Amy, Joshua’s friend,” Barbara said.

  The girl stood. She was big busted and curvy. Her oval face broke into a smile, showing small, even teeth. “Hi, you must be Lee-Ann,” the girl offered her hand which Lee-Ann hesitantly took.

  “Hi,” she stretched her lips across her teeth, hoping it would look like a smile. “Excuse me.” She treaded back up the stairs.

  “What’s with Lee-Ann? She doesn’t look so good these past few days,” Barbara said in a low tone. Joshua’s heart flipped at the sound of her name.

  “Why do you say that?” he asked.

  He’d gone to the kitchen to get juice for Amy and was returning when Barbara met him at the door. “She looks sad. Even with a new car, she hasn’t even driven it out since she bought it. She just said ‘hi’ and went straight back up to her room.”

  “She came down? Just now?” he asked looking expectantly in the living room.

  “Yes, she must have needed something, but changed her mind,” Barbara said, thoughtfully.

  Joshua felt responsible for Lee-Ann’s mood lately. He didn’t know how to fix what he did. Should he apologize? He didn’t want her thinking that he was a pervert. That’s why he brought Amy. Maybe if Lee-Ann knew he was seeing someone she’d feel comfortable to be around him. He hadn’t meant to scare her the way he did by kissing her.

  He decided that, after he took Amy home, he’d have a talk with Lee-Ann, make her understand that what he did was a mistake. Hopefully, she wasn’t planning a comeback to get back at him.

  * * * *

  A knife must have pierced her chest. That’s how it felt, like something stabbed her. The girl was really pretty, with big round boobs that strained against her pink t-shirt. Her jeans were tight, like a second skin and just between the hem of her top and the waist of her jeans was a little skin showing.

  Lee-Ann stood before her mirror, her hand coming up to cup her small breasts. Her hips weren’t as wide as that girl’s. She now knew what Joshua was talking about, that Amy girl was all woman, and she…well, she could never measure up. She’d never compared herself to another woman before now. This was the first time she found herself being jealous of another girl.

  Her phone rang, interrupting her inspection of herself, it was Gracie. “What’s up?”

  “Just checking up on you. You sounded really down earlier,” she could hear the concern in her friend’s voice.

  “I’m fine,” she took a deep breath. “That guy, I’d like to meet him,” it just came out. She hadn’t planned it till now. Might as well get over her sour mood.

  “That’s great! I’ll give you his number, get a pen,” Gracie read out the number while she jotted it down.

  “Thanks, see you later,” she was feeling better by the time she hung up the phone.

  The guy’s name was Pete, and he was a college student in his senior year. He was home for the summer and was a friend of Gracie’s older brother. They spoke on the phone briefly and he sounded nice. The plan was set for them to meet at Sootha’s Café, in the town center. It was the ideal place for a first time meeting, and if they hit it off, they could go somewhere else.

  She found a mini denim skirt that showed of her long slender thighs and legs. Paired with that was a white tank and sandals. She let her hair hang freely. She didn’t look like she was going on a date, but rather to the beach. It didn’t matter, they were just going to have coffee and talk.

  She found him waiting with his hands buried in his pockets. He was wearing jeans and t-shirt and she was glad she hadn’t gone through the trouble of dressing up. When he saw her, his face lit up and he sauntered over. Gracie had told her he was good looking and she was right. Pete was tall and thin with dark hair and brown eyes.

  “Hi,” he greeted and stretched his hand out.

  She took his hand, which felt a bit clammy, so she quickly dropped it. “Hi, have you been waiting long?”

  “No, not at all,” he replied in a smooth tone. “Gracie never told me how pretty you are.”

  She smiled, “Thank you. You’re nice too.”

  “I was thinking we could visit that new club down the street. It’s pretty safe there, lots of people,” he was looking at her intently.

  Lee-Ann wasn’t sure, but this was Friday night. There were plenty of people around and a club would be buzzing with lots of people as well. It couldn’t hurt and she could always leave if she felt uncomfortable.

  “Okay,” she nodded her head.

  The drive to the Club Ozone was short. He owned a sports car, of which model she wasn’t sure since she knew little about automotives. During the drive, Pete told her about college, that he was majoring in law, but thinking of changing his major. He wasn’t sure what he would be switching to yet; however, he hoped it was something that would make him a lot of money.

  “Being a lawyer will make you lots of money,” she encouraged, remembering that her stepfather was a lawyer. The thought of Timothy automatically made her think of Joshua.

  “Yes, but law is a lot harder than I thought. It’s too
much studying. I want something I can cram and still pass.”

  Lee-Ann fell silent. They’d reached the club and he found parking close to the entrance so there was no point continuing the conversation. It wasn’t her place anyway, to tell him what to do. She just thought it lazy of him to give up because the subject was hard. There must have been a reason why he chose law in the first place. Plus, one doesn’t choose a major because they want to make lots of money. They choose a major because it’s what they want to spend their lives working at.

  She quickly put the conversation out of her mind and decided to at least enjoy her date. Joshua was probably somewhere enjoying himself with what’s her name. For a second, his face flashed before her and so did Amy’s. She imagined him kissing the blond and her heart gave a sudden jolt.

  Pete found them a table and told her to order them drinks while he used the bathroom. He said he wanted a beer and she could order whatever she liked. She got herself a virgin cosmo and got Pete his cold lager. He was back in less than five minutes.

  “Nice scene, don’t you think?”

  She hadn’t even noticed anything. The lights were orange and yellow that seem to fade into each other every few minutes. The music was modern techno and a number of dancers were rocking on the dance floor. The place had a nice crowd.

  “Yes, it’s nice,” she smiled.

  “Wanna dance?” he shouted above the music as it blared even louder than when they arrived.

  “No thanks, but you go enjoy yourself.”

  Pete left briefly to join the throng of dancers while Lee-Ann watched, feeling quite bored and wondering where her so called stepbrother was and what he was doing. She chided herself for thinking about him when this date was supposed to help her feel better. She finished her drink and ordered another before Pete retuned.

  “I’ll be right back,” she excused herself as she sat. “Ladies room.”

  She had to wait several minutes to pee because the women’s washroom was filled with women of all ages. At one time, she thought she saw Amy, the girl she met as Joshua’s friend but it was someone else.

  When she returned, Pete had finished his beer and was on another. She gulped the rest of her drink down in one go and ordered a water. The place was humid and she felt stuffy. He asked if she wanted another drink but she declined. After about five minutes, the dancers on the floor looked as if they were wobbling and her eye lids felt heavy.

  “Lee-Ann, are you okay?” Pete’s voice was some distance away, and there were two of him.

  “I don’t feel so good,” she mumbled. “I wanna go home,” she stood but her knees buckled and Pete had to hold her up.

  “Come, I’ll take you home,” she heard him, but he sounded far away.

  Pete helped her out to his car. She had to lean against the vehicle while he opened the door. He was about to help her in when she heard Joshua’s voice. It couldn’t be. Maybe she was dreaming, was what she thought.

  “Isn’t that your sister?” Amy pointed to a young woman with red hair leaning against a silver car.

  “She’s not my sister…,” Josh protested, yet again.

  “Whatever,” Amy rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that her?”

  Josh looked closely and noticed that it was Lee-Ann. She didn’t look so good and she was getting into a car with a strange dude. They’d heard of the new club and Amy wanted to check it out. He wasn’t all that into Amy, but she was good company and he needed the distraction from always thinking about Reds.

  He moved the twenty feet or so towards the car. As Lee-Ann staggered into the seat, the tall, thin guy ran around to the driver side. Amy followed closely behind, but his focus was on Lee-Ann.

  “Hey,” he called out to the young man who looked surprised.

  “Can I help you?” the guy answered.

  “Who are you?” Joshua asked.

  “I don’t see that’s any of your business,” the guy replied, getting into the car.

  Joshua yanked the passenger door opened and took hold of Lee-Ann, “Reds, get out of the car.”

  “Who the hell are you?” the guy asked.

  “Jossshhhh, ist dat you?” Lee-Ann mumbled almost incoherently.

  “Lee-Ann are you drunk?” Josh demanded.

  By this time, the young man came out of the car and came around to face Josh, “What are you doing man?”

  “I’m taking Lee-Ann home,” Joshua replied, then turned to Lee-Ann who was now leaning against the car. “How much did you have to drink Lee?”

  “I…I…not drink alcol,” she mumbled once more.

  “She had some cosmos, man, that’s all,” the guy told him.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “I’m Pete, a friend of Gracie’s brother,” Pete replied, a little withdrawn.

  “Lee-Ann,” Joshua said, and shook her. “How many cosmos did you have?”

  “Her eyes are dilated, Josh,” Amy who had been silent all along, said.

  Joshua place a finger under her chin and raised her head up to the light. Amy was right. Her eyes were dilated and glossy.

  “No alcol..virgin cosm,” Lee-Ann mumbled and sagged against Joshua. “Josh, you…I…hate you…leave me,” she pushed against him and almost fell but he held her. “Go…way…Jossshhh.”

  “Lee-Ann, let’s go,” he insisted.

  “No!” she pushed hard and fell back against Pete’s car and managed to get inside, pulling up the door.

  Pete didn’t waste time. He ran around to the driver side and quickly got in.

  “I’m sorry Amy,” Joshua looked at his date apologetically while running towards the Bentley. “I’ve got to deal with this.”

  Amy wasn’t pleased, “Suit yourself. I’m going inside.”

  “Are you sure?” he was concerned.

  “I know how to take care of myself, don’t worry about me,” Amy said acidly. It was obvious she was pissed at him.

  As Pete drove out, Joshua trailed behind him, but another car came in and blocked him, allowing Pete to escape. He had no idea where they went and had to stop for a few minutes to think. He knew deep down what happened, and he could not let anyone take advantage of Lee-Ann. He imagined all sorts of things happening and got sick to his stomach.

  “If anything happens to her, I’ll kill him, I swear,” he hit the steering wheel with his fist, causing a slight dent.

  He thought that, by the time he checked all the motels in Irvine, it would be too late. Then it occurred to him that Pete might take her somewhere secluded. A place he can park the car and have his way. That place was Turtle Rock Viewpoint. That was ten minutes away. He hoped he was right, and sped away on the shortest route he knew.

  Traffic was thinning, thank God, so there was little hindrance. There were a few cars there, so he had to make sure of which one Lee-Ann was in. Initially, he didn’t see Pete’s car and was about to leave when he looked across a secluded area and saw a shadow that may be a vehicle. The area was really dark, and unlike the other cars parked with their headlights on, this one had shut off all lights and was just sitting there.

  With his heart beating wildly and fear up to his neck, he raced over. His eyes quickly adjusting to the dimness, and yes, it was the same car. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. He then pounded on the window.

  “Open the door, motherfucker!” there was no response.

  He could see movement inside the vehicle. For a fleeting moment, he thought that perhaps he could be mistaken and it was not Pete’s car. However, the thought of that jerk doing something to her drove him crazy. He pulled his shirt off. Luckily, he’d been wearing a cotton shirt over his Ts. Using the shirt, he wrapped his elbow with it, and with one swift and powerful elbow strike, he smashed the window.

  “Lee-Ann!” he screamed her name while Pete jumped from the passenger side and ran off in the distance. “Oh no you don’t.”

  With the speed of a cheetah and the precision of a jaguar, Joshua was right behind. He caught up to him, landing a flyin
g left kick at the back of Pete’s head. The guy went down like a rag dog, sagging to the dusty California ground.

  He went back the car to get Lee-Ann who was sobbing, “Lee-Ann, are you okay?”

  “Josh?”

  “Yes, it’s me,” he yanked the door open and lifted her out. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into her neck. “Oh Josh! He…he…tried to….”

  “Shhh, I’m here now Reds. I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”

  She rambled against his shoulder, but he couldn’t understand her. He placed her gently in the front passenger seat of the Bentley and strapped her in. When he got around to his side, she was curled up with her knees to her chin.

  “Lee-Ann?” he reached over and brushed her hair from her face.

  “Josh,” she whispered. “I don’t feel good.”

  “I know. I’ll take you home, but we’ve got to get you sobered up before then,” he told her. “Mom and Dad shouldn’t see you this way.”

  She rested her head back and closed her eyes. He reached up and switched the roof light on, wanting to see how she was holding up. Her long lashes brushed her cheeks and he got the intense urge to touch them. Her lips were slightly parted, reminding him of how they tasted, sweet and tender. The truth is, he’d never seen anyone as breathtaking as her. Her eyes flicked open and stared at him for a second before they closed and she started snoring softly.

  He pulled away slowly, sliding down the windows to let in the night air. On the way home, he stopped once at a gas station to get water. It dawned on him that he should have called the police, but had been too worried to think straight. The hospital was the best place to take her before the drug wore off, and they would report it to the police.

  When he got back into the car, Lee-Ann was awake but barely so. “Where are we going?’ she barely managed to ask when he headed in the opposite direction from home.

  “To the hospital,” he told her.

  “No, Josh,” she said, her voice slightly slurry. “I…I…don’t’ want to go…go through that…embarrassing.” The last word was a whisper. “Please.”