“He’s gone now.”
“Why would he take my picture?” Rebecca asked, turning herself fully toward Patrick.
Patrick leveled her with a gaze. “You’re an attractive woman, standing on a beach.”
“What a creep,” she said, her eyes narrowing.
“Do you want me to go find him?” Patrick asked, feeling concern snake its way through him. He’d scared the guy off, but all she had to do was say the word, and he’d track him down. “I can get him to delete the photo. There are probably pictures of other women on there as well.”
“Mommy, I’m hungry!” Abby cried out, marching over to them.
“No, it’s okay. I mean it’s not okay, but it was probably nothing.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for him,” Patrick said quietly. “I don’t think he’ll be back.”
“Well, you are good for scaring people off,” Rebecca commented innocently. She pushed back her sunglasses so they balanced on her head and eyed him mischievously. She was a tiny little thing, barely coming up to his chin, but he could see that she had fire in her. No doubt she needed that in her line of work.
“Is that so?” He smirked, amused that she was finally teasing him in return.
She patted his chest, and he unwittingly flexed his muscles at the shock of her fingertips against him. “I’m pretty sure I could scare you off in a courtroom any day though.”
She turned to get some food for her daughter, and a whole slew of emotions worked their way through him: surprise, respect, admiration, attraction, and arousal. Rebecca was a woman that would keep him on his toes, and hell if he didn’t like her even more for that.
Chapter 8
Rebecca handed her daughter a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and smiled as she saw Patrick watching her. “I swear she could eat these morning, noon, and night if I let her.”
“Logan, too,” he agreed.
“Now if I could just get her to eat what I cook for dinner.”
“I don’t give him a choice,” Patrick said with a laugh. “If it’s on his plate, he’ll eat it.”
“Hmm. I might have to try that.”
“Either that or become a short order cook.” He winked, and Rebecca felt her skin warming.
Patrick leaned over to help his son with his own food, and Rebecca tried not to openly stare. The man was freaking gorgeous, with well-defined muscles stretching over the planes of his chest and ripples running down his abdomen that she was dying to explore with her fingertips.
The man didn’t have a six-pack—it was more like an eight-pack. I mean she knew he was built—anyone could see that. He was an imposing figure even in street clothes. Seeing him half naked on the beach had her clenching her thighs together at the slow ache beginning to burn deep inside. Hell, even his legs were sexy, with corded thigh muscles just peeking out beneath the board shorts he wore. Lord help her if she ever saw the man in his uniform. He was sex on a stick.
And when he’d been playing with their kids down by the surf? It had taken her fifteen minutes to apply her own sunscreen because she kept sneaking peeks in his direction, watching him move amongst the sparkling water and soft sand.
Not only was he insanely attractive, but he’d had fun with her daughter and Logan. It warmed her inside to hear Abby’s happy squeals as he’d chased the kids around. Although she played with Abby all the time, it wasn’t the same kind of rough-housing that she’d done with her father, and it was nice to see her so free and happy again.
“We lucked out, having a great day like this so early in the spring,” Patrick commented.
“I know, but I’ll take it. The weather is perfect for a day at the beach.”
“It’s nice to live close to the ocean. The traffic is probably backed up on the bridge and highway for miles.”
Rebecca shuddered but didn’t comment. That was literally her worst nightmare at the moment—getting stuck on the bridge with nowhere to go and nothing but endless water stretched out below. She decided to change the subject.
“Did you always want to be a SEAL?”
“I always wanted to serve my country. I actually played football in high school and did pretty well. I was offered scholarships to play college ball, but I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. The SEAL part just kind of happened after I joined the Navy—I wanted to be part of the best of the best. September 11 only cemented my resolve to make this my career.”
“That’s very honorable—wanting to serve your country. Lesser men would’ve taken the easier route and the money they earned playing professional football.”
“Probably so, but this was the right decision for me. Did you always want to be a lawyer?”
“Not exactly. I always loved research and writing. I was the student who loved spending hours in the library doing research for a term paper, coming up with an outline and thesis, and presenting my argument on paper.”
Patrick chuckled, and she looked at him questioningly. His blue eyes were warm as they met hers, and she realized she enjoyed their easy conversation and getting to know one another better.
“I was more into athletics than academics,” he admitted
“That makes sense if you were as good a football player as you claim.”
Patrick raised his eyebrows. “You doubt me?”
Rebecca laughed. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. And I can see that you’re quite, uh, athletic.”
“That’s pretty much the job description of being a SEAL,” he teased.
“It should be—maybe they should use that line when recruiting. I won’t even charge them for use of my catchy new slogan.”
“So what made you become a lawyer?”
“I applied to law school and got in.”
Patrick laughed. “Easy as that, huh?”
Rebecca returned his grin. “I guess it was, for me. I mean I could never jump out of airplanes or do whatever it is you do.”
“That’s some of it,” he agreed.
“I kind of liked the idea of helping people, too. A lot of my clients are female. They’re leaving husbands who’ve cheated on them, who’ve hurt them. Some just want out of their marriage without any good reason, but I feel like I’m helping a lot of the women that I take on as clients.”
“I can understand that.”
Rebecca turned to grab another bottle of water from the cooler and found Patrick’s eyes watching her as she looked back. They briefly swept over her body before meeting her gaze. If she blinked she’d have missed it, but Patrick was definitely checking her out. She felt a blush creeping over her skin as she thought of him looking at her in her swimsuit. She was fit, yes, but not to the extent that he was. It didn’t appear that he had any complaints though.
“Can you pass me another bottle of water, too?” he asked, his voice deep.
She grabbed one from the cooler, and their fingers briefly brushed against one another as she handed the drink to him. She could swear she felt sparks shooting out from where their skin touched, and she quickly pulled her hand back. Patrick didn’t say anything, but she could feel his heated gaze on her.
She looked toward the ocean and unscrewed the cap from her drink, taking a long pull of the cool water. She was flushed, Patrick’s eyes warming her from head to toe as desire burned through her. She knew her heated skin had nothing to do with the warm day and everything to do with the man seated beside her.
They’d enjoy dinner together on Friday and see where it led, but for the moment, they were just enjoying a nice day at the beach with their kids.
Or so she kept telling herself.
Chapter 9
The doorbell rang at 7:00 sharp on Friday evening. Rebecca had been looking forward to her date with Patrick all week, especially after enjoying the sparks that had been flying between them at the beach last weekend. Her parents had been kind enough to pick up Abby earlier in the evening so that Rebecca didn’t have to make the drive to Williamsburg. In Friday evening rush hour traffic, the normally one-
hour drive could easily have been two hours each way.
Besides, Abby was thrilled that her grandparents had arrived to pick her up for a sleepover at their house. It was all she had talked about all week, and knowing that Abby would be in good hands left Rebecca content to enjoy her evening with Patrick.
She opened the front door, trying hard not to inhale the freshly showered scent of the man standing before her—he smelled of soap, with the faint scent of clean cologne, as well as something else darker and distinctively male.
He took up the entire doorway, his large shoulders looking as if they’d barely fit through her doorframe without him turning sideways. It was strange how on the beach that had seemed perfectly normal, but here, in her home, he was larger than life. Her eyes scanned over him, taking in his black polo shirt and neatly-pressed khakis. He looked healthy and fit, but there was also something virile and powerful emanating from him. He gave off energy without even moving, the strength of his muscular, male body undeniable even at rest.
Her eyes swept to the side, noticing a silver SUV parked on the road. Patrick’s own black SUV was parked in her driveway—at least she assumed that was his. The other vehicle had been there one or two nights during the week but always disappeared when she left her home.
“Everything okay?” Patrick asked, sensing her unease.
Rebecca shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but I keep seeing that car around here. It’s not any of my neighbors, but this must be the third time I’ve seen it this week.”
Patrick’s eyes narrowed, and he reached out, his large hand gently clasping her forearm. “Wait here. Lock the door, and don’t open it until I come back.”
“What? Why?”
He leveled her with a stern gaze, and without knowing entirely why, she stepped back and shut the door as he asked, watching from the window as he walked down the driveway and toward the other vehicle. It took off in a hurry once the driver realized Patrick was headed their way. Not that Rebecca blamed them—if she’d seen Patrick approaching, she’d probably get out of there, too. As quickly as possible.
He watched them drive down her street before finally returning, looking fierce with the scowl on his face as he ambled up her driveway. His face was like stone, his blue eyes ice. She stood there in her foyer, waiting until Patrick knocked on her door.
“Rebecca? It’s me,” he said, somewhat unnecessarily, as she’d been watching the entire scene through the window.
She opened the door and invited him in. “Did you see who it was?”
“No, they drove away too quickly, but I memorized the plate. I can have some friends run it later.”
“Oh, do you think that’s really necessary?”
“You mentioned those hang-ups at your office the other week, and I saw that strange guy taking your picture on the beach. If you’ve seen this car a few times around your house, that makes me suspicious.”
“It’s probably just a coincidence though, right?”
“Most likely,” he agreed. “I’ll check it out for you though, just in case.”
“Okay, uh, thanks,” Rebecca said, feeling uncertain. She didn’t want Patrick to get into trouble, digging into things he had no business looking into. But it was his job to protect people, so he probably just felt some ingrained sense of duty to keep an eye out for trouble. She had felt slightly unnerved seeing the same car there several nights this week. Her neighbors didn’t know who it was either, and she had a daughter to protect.
When she’d spotted the SUV there a couple of nights ago, she’d had the strangest sense that she was being watched. It didn’t make sense, but if Patrick wanted to look out for her, and it would give her a small sense of peace knowing who it was in the silver SUV, then who was she to stop him?
“So, I take it you like seafood, right?”
“Yes, but how’d you know that?”
“The restaurant I spotted you at that first night,” he replied, his blue eyes warmer than she’d ever seen them. “When you and Abby were eating out on the patio.”
Rebecca smiled. “That’s right. You have a good memory. And I love seafood.”
“Perfect. I already have a place in mind to take you to dinner. Are you ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
Patrick took Rebecca’s hand as they walked out the front door. She’d seemed surprised, but it felt perfectly natural to take her much smaller hand in his. It was soft and warm, and he liked keeping her close.
Aside from that, he’d felt uneasy at the car that had sped away earlier. Rebecca had said the same car had been there two other nights this week. If Patrick didn’t know better, he’d say someone was casing the neighborhood. Hopefully the sight of him in their rear-view mirror had freaked them out enough to stay away, but he’d still run the plates to see what he came up with. Between that and the hang-ups she’d received at her office, you couldn’t be too careful.
Until then, holding Rebecca’s hand was about all he could do to assure himself she was okay. He couldn’t exactly pull her into his arms—they barely knew one another, and he didn’t want to frighten her away.
He helped her into the car, his hands lingering longer than necessary at her slim waist as he guided her into his large SUV. She flushed at his touch, and another spark of interest surged through him at her reaction. He’d never met a grown woman who seemed to blush as much as she did, and damn if he didn’t like it. She was independent, confident, and successful at her career, but something about the way she reacted in his presence had male pride swelling within him.
And that wasn’t the only thing rising, if the tightening of his pants served as any indication. He’d always taken charge in the bedroom, not necessarily dominating his women so much as taking the lead. Her reactions had him believing she’d submit to him beautifully. He didn’t harbor any dark desires but felt that it was a man’s role to take charge and pleasure a woman. And hell if he didn’t want to pleasure her in every way imaginable. She was small and feminine, and the idea of holding her in his arms, feeling her beneath him, and having Rebecca cry out his name as she came had him instantly hard.
He eased himself into the driver’s seat, trying to reign himself in. Just because he’d immediately bedded women in the past didn’t mean that’s how it would play out this evening. She had a young daughter to care for. Although he hadn’t seen Abby in the house, he assumed Rebecca would need to pick her up later tonight. And Rebecca wasn’t exactly some young and foolish woman he’d picked up at a bar, one who had every intention of letting him have his wicked way with her.
Although he longed to sink himself deeply into her tight heat more than he cared to admit, he’d take things slowly. They’d enjoy a nice dinner together, and if she had a good time, he’d ask to see her again. Despite his notions of never committing to a relationship again, he wanted to know more about Rebecca. He cared for her, although his mind told him it was much too soon to be feeling sentiment like that.
He wanted her, yes, in every way that a man could desire a woman. But he felt protective around her, too. Rebecca’s husband had been killed last year, and just as he’d watched his own ex-wife pass away, he knew it wasn’t easy to recover from something like that. He’d known his ex-wife was dying, but for Rebecca to have her husband snatched away from her family in the blink of an eye? That couldn’t be something that was easy to reckon with, and he’d do anything he could to shield her from that kind of pain. The fact that he enjoyed the pleasure of her company just made it all that sweeter.
“I dropped Logan off at his grandparents’ house,” Patrick said casually as they pulled out of the neighborhood.
“Are they close by?”
“Yes, they’re right here in Virginia Beach. He was excited to spend the night getting spoiled by them.”
“Abby’s at her grandparents’ house, too. They live in Williamsburg,” she added, almost as an afterthought.
Patrick tucked that piece of information away in the back of his mind. Willi
amsburg was an hour away, so it was unlikely Rebecca would pick up her daughter tonight. He wasn’t due to get Logan until tomorrow, so that meant they had as long as they wanted to enjoy one another’s company this evening.
He immediately began to alter his plans for the night, thinking a walk on the beach might be nice after their dinner. Earlier he’d had visions of rushing her home, which he understood, but he was pleased to know they could spend more time together. And if a walk along the beach led to something more? Hell, he’d be more than okay with that, too.
After navigating through the streets, he pulled up to a small seafood restaurant that he’d frequented over the years. It was more upscale than hole-in-the-wall but off the main drag and therefore not popular with the tourists. They had the best seafood around, and he was looking forward to sharing a meal with Rebecca.
They ordered appetizers and a bottle of white wine, which they shared as they talked in the candlelight. By the time the waiter brought out their meals, Patrick felt more comfortable with Rebecca than he’d been with anyone in a long time. Of course he had the guys on his SEAL team, who he trusted implicitly, but they had a different type of camaraderie. They had each others’ backs and joked around and fought like brothers. They certainly didn’t sit around having heart-to-hearts as the sun set in the background.
The light gleaming in from the window cast golden beams that bounced off of Rebecca’s waves, and Patrick reached across the table and touched one under the guise of moving it off her face. Rebecca watched him, enraptured, and he suggested they walk out on the pier behind the restaurant.
He took her hand as they strode out over the water. The sun had finally sunk below the horizon, and the ocean lapped at them below, dark and unknown. It comforted him, soothed him, hearing the sound of the water beneath them. The farther they walked out onto the pier, however, the more agitated Rebecca seemed to become. She looked around, nervously, as Patrick tried to ascertain what the problem was.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
SEAL the Deal (Alpha SEALs Book 1) Page 6