SEAL's Revenge (Alpha SEALs Coronado Book 4)

by Makenna Jameison

  “Speaking of breakfast, I’m starving,” Ethan said. “There’s an awesome diner near here. Think I can tempt you with promises of strawberry pancakes and chocolate French toast?”

  “Oh my God. I’m going to gain ten pounds this week.”

  He chuckled and stood up, not looking embarrassed in the least as he strode across the guest room in his boxers. God. Even his back was sexy—broad shoulders. A narrow waist. Her cheeks flushed as she stared at his ass in his boxers.

  She quickly looked away. Last night she’d freaked out over a nightmare. She shouldn’t be thinking about Ethan in any sort of sexual way.

  “Shower and get dressed, sweetheart,” he said as he turned in the doorway. “I’ll get changed, too, and we’ll head out. Best pancakes you’ll ever have—I promise.”

  Thirty minutes later, they were walking out the front door to Ethan’s SUV. They’d both dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, with Kim also wearing a light jacket. It felt casual and normal after walking around in uniforms at Bagram a week ago. Ethan still managed to look in command and control though. There was just something about the way he carried himself that made her feel safe.

  “Huh,” she said as he pulled out his keys. “I haven’t driven in almost three months. It will be strange when I get home.”

  Much to her shock, he tossed the keys her way.

  She grabbed them mid-air, looking at him questioningly.

  “You’re driving.”

  “What? No! I wasn’t implying you should let me drive your car. It was just a random thought.”

  “Come on,” he said, lightly taking her by the elbow and guiding her around to the driver’s side. “It’s better to practice with someone here with you. If you panic for some reason, I’ll be right at your side.”

  “And I’ll be driving your car. No, Ethan, I couldn’t.”

  He took her hand in his, taking the remote to unlock the doors. “Climb on up,” he said. “I’ll show you how to adjust the seat. You’re shorter than me and will need to scoot up.”

  She climbed into the driver’s side of his SUV but still looked at him in disbelief. “You’re serious.”

  “Of course, I’m serious,” he said, his brown eyes twinkling. He looked so pleased with himself, her mouth dropped open. Not missing a beat, Ethan ducked down and kissed her briefly. “And I’ve been dying to do that.”

  Bewildered, she watched as he pressed the start button and then moved the seat forward. Had he just…kissed her? She’d woken up earlier with Ethan practically naked at her side, and he’d been a perfect gentleman. Now goosebumps broke out over her skin as he leaned close, and she could smell the clean scent of his soap and aftershave.

  It had barely been a kiss, but now she felt all flustered. Ethan wasn’t her boyfriend, but he’d held her in his arms all night. He was letting her drive his car. It was almost like they’d fast-forwarded through the dating stages and had leapt into a relationship.

  “All right. This has navigation,” he said, pointing to some of the controls, “but I can just tell you the way.” He continued talking, acting like he hadn’t just kissed her here in the driveway. Any doubts about how he felt about her were slowly dissipating.

  Something about the way Ethan was taking control was sexy as hell. It was kind of a strange thought. She was an independent woman and certainly knew how to drive. But he’d somehow noticed she was a little nervous to do so again and decided to solve that problem then and there. And rather than making her wonder where things stood between them, he’d flat out kissed her. It had been somewhat chaste and brief, but a man wouldn’t kiss a woman he only wanted to be friends with.

  Shaking her head, she fastened her seatbelt as Ethan rounded the front and climbed into the passenger seat.

  “What?” he asked, his lips quirking.

  “Most men would insist on driving. Isn’t that what all you alpha male, macho types do?”

  He burst into laughter. “I’m helping you, sweetheart. I know you’re nervous about some day-to-day aspects of life, so here I am. You’ll drive, we’ll eat, and then we’ll meet up with our friends later on.”

  “You just kissed me,” she blurted out.

  His lips quirked. “I did. I hope I didn’t freak you out. You looked so cute and flustered, I couldn’t help it. It was hell holding you close this morning and not being able to touch and kiss every inch of you. I’d never rush you into something though. Ever. You’ll always be safe with me, sweetheart.”

  Her heartbeat quickened. “I like you,” she said as she met his gaze.

  “I like you, too. And I can’t remember the last time I’ve spent so much time with a woman and still wanted more. I date occasionally, go out with my buddies and meet women—but this isn’t like that. Not even close. I’m not interested in rushing into things or pushing for more than you’re ready for, but hell. I held you in my arms all night and couldn’t get enough. I can’t wait to spend the day with you.”

  Nervous butterflies filled her stomach. “I haven’t felt this way before,” she admitted.

  “Neither have I. A couple of months ago, I thought my buddies were crazy for getting serious so quickly about their women, but now? I get it. Hell Kim, I’d do just about anything for you.”

  She stared at him a beat, too shocked for words.

  “I didn’t mean to freak you out,” he said. “Just know that I’m serious about us. Let’s go eat, okay?” he asked gently.

  “Yeah. Let’s eat,” she said, her mind whirling. She adjusted the mirror so she could back out. Ethan’s SUV had all the latest gadgets—back-up cameras and who knew what else. “Are you going to tell me how to get there?”

  “Yep. It’s only ten minutes away, and traffic should be nonexistent on a Sunday morning. Oh, do you need a purse or something?”

  “Nope. My wallet’s in my jacket pocket.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “Oh, I left my cell phone in the guest room.”

  “Do you need it?” he asked, hand already on his seatbelt like he was ready to unfasten it.

  “Actually, no. I’m good. We’ll be back soon, and I don’t need to have it with me every second. I guess I got used to being without a phone.”

  He frowned but nodded. She’d been without practically everything, save for the clothes on her back. “Then let’s roll,” he quipped.

  She shifted into reverse, slowly backing down his driveway. She was nervous driving again, but Ethan’s low voice helped to calm her. It was weird to be worried about something that was second nature to most people. She assumed when she was home in her own car, driving around her own neighborhood, she’d feel comfortable.

  Wouldn’t she?

  Two months in captivity was a long time, but she was twenty-seven. She’d been driving since she was a teenager. Kim began to relax the further they went. “Oh my God, you have a Target,” she joked. “I haven’t been shopping in months.”

  “Shopping’s not really my thing, but I’ll take you if you want,” he said with a chuckle. “Hell, I’d do whatever you wanted to get you to smile like that again.”

  She hastened a quick glance over and smiled back at him. “What? You and Grayson don’t go on Target runs?”

  “Negative, sweetheart. The only place we run is on the beach for PT.”

  “I should start exercising again,” she said. “Nothing like what you do—just an easy jog. We hiked a lot in the mountains, but I need to get my strength back.”

  “I’ll go with you if you want.”

  “I know I couldn’t keep up with you,” she hedged.

  “We’d go at your pace,” he assured her. “So what’s going to happen with the Reserves? Do you think you’ll be discharged?”

  “I’m not actually sure how it’ll work. I need to talk with a number of people when I get back to Virginia. There’s no way I could ever go back to Afghanistan though.”

  “Hell no,” Ethan said quickly.

  “You deploy to all sorts of dangerous places. I’m sur
e you can’t even tell me about most of them.”

  “I’d be worried if they sent you somewhere again, sweetheart. Sorry if that’s sexist or whatnot, but damn. When Hailey told me about you, it killed me to know you were over there alone.”

  “You didn’t even know me.”

  “No, but I got to know her, and she told me about you. Then when I saw that video—”

  He cut off, his voice choked. “It’s honorable that you served your country,” he finally said. “I know that better than anyone. I admire the hell out of you. But working as a Defense contractor, you’d still be doing important work. And most importantly, you’d be safe.”

  “I know. That was my career anyhow. I felt called to serve I guess, but that part of my life is over. I’m still worried,” she confessed.

  “About going back to work?”

  “I’m worried I’m forgetting something. Something important.”

  Ethan reached over and rested his hand reassuringly on her thigh. It wasn’t meant to be sexual, but she swore sparks shot through her at his touch. She felt safe with him. But what about when she finally returned home?

  Chapter 18

  “You’re sure you’re okay with the whole team coming over?” Ethan asked again that afternoon. Kim looked up from the book she was reading. She looked so right sitting there on his patio, he almost had to convince himself this wasn’t a dream.

  “I’m sure. Hailey and I will have plenty of alone time tomorrow. And I’ve already met your friends.”

  “I suppose you did,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “That’s not the way I’d usually introduce a woman to my teammates, but hell. It is what it is.”

  “Don’t worry so much,” she teased.

  “That’s supposed to be my line,” he smirked. The doorbell rang, and Ethan moved through his house, leaving Kim out back by herself. He’d gone for a jog that afternoon, with Kim insisting she go with him later that week. He had to be on base the next few days, but later in the week they’d have nothing but time alone.

  Jackson and Taryn were the first to arrive, and he grinned as he opened the door and saw them. Jackson towered above his petite girlfriend, and he had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “I made brownies,” she said.

  “They look awesome. Thank God I went for a run earlier.”

  “I brought some beers,” Jackson said, walking inside.

  “Where’s Kimberly?” Taryn asked. “Oh, I see her out back. I’ll go introduce myself and say hello.”

  “How’s she doing?” Jackson asked as they stuck the beers in the fridge.

  Ethan lifted a shoulder. “She had a nightmare last night. She seems worried she’s forgetting something from when she was in captivity. I’m not sure what. It sounded like they spoke freely around her, but since it was in Farsi, she didn’t understand most of it.”

  “Maybe she remembers who kidnapped her?” Jackson asked.

  “I don’t know. She remembers waking up in a tent.” Ethan lowered his voice. “She was attacked the first night by a man missing part of his ear. She’s terrified of him.”

  “Fucking bastard,” Jackson said. Although the team had suspected she’d been assaulted while in captivity, Ethan hadn’t point blank told his friends. No doubt they could read the report just like he had, but hell. It was brutal to imagine what she’d endured.

  “She thought she saw him on base,” Ethan admitted.

  Jackson raised his eyebrows.

  “Yep. When Raptor, Ghost, and I took her to meet with the investigators.”

  “So we pull up pictures of the Afghanis working on base,” Jackson surmised. “They’ve got photo identification. Let’s make some calls and get access to that. We can rule that out pretty easily.”

  “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Ethan blew out a sigh. “Ghost and Raptor looked around that day, but I kind of figured her mind was just playing tricks on her. What if I blew it off and that asshole is still working there at Bagram?”

  “I assume she told the investigators about him.”

  “Yes. I don’t know,” Ethan admitted. “She told them about her kidnapping and rape, but I don’t know if she mentioned him specifically. Reliving all of that might have been too awful.”

  Jackson clenched his jaw, nodding. He probably understood better than most men the trauma that Kim had endured. Taryn had fled from an abusive ex-husband. She’d been reluctant to turn him in to the police, and Ethan knew part of the reason was because she wanted to move on and not divulge every awful detail.

  “I’ll ask her later,” Ethan said. “I admit I read the initial report, but I don’t remember if that detail was included.”

  “I’ll make some calls when we’re on base tomorrow,” Jackson said. “If I can get photos, I’ll look through them. If he’s not there, it might put her mind at ease.”

  “I appreciate it. It’s a long shot, but hell.”

  Taryn poked her head in the door. “Are you guys coming out or what?”

  “We’ll be right there,” Jackson said as the doorbell rang again.

  “I better get it,” Ethan said, watching as his teammate walked out to the patio where their women were. Their women. Was Kimberly his? He’d do whatever he could to convince her to be. To give them a real shot. She might’ve had a lot to go through as she readjusted to life, but he wanted to be part of all of it.

  ***

  “What?” Ethan asked in surprise later that evening as Ghost and Hailey sat grinning at the table in his backyard. “You’re having a baby? Holy shit!”

  Hailey giggled beside Ghost, and Ethan glanced over at Kim. She was smiling but didn’t look completely shocked. “Wait—you knew about this?”

  “Hailey just told me yesterday. She hadn’t even told Grayson yet, so I couldn’t very well tell you.”

  “Holy crap,” Ethan muttered, standing up from the table and walking over to the grill.

  “Well shit,” Troy said, grinning at everyone. “Congrats to you both!”

  “Damn. Congrats, man,” Blake said, fist bumping Grayson. “Does this mean you two are getting hitched soon, too? We all knew it was inevitable with the way you were chasing after Hailey back in Bagram.” He winked at her, and she laughed.

  “Actually, it does,” Grayson said with a smile. As everyone watched in shock, he stood up from the table and dropped to one knee in front of Hailey. Tears filled her eyes, and Ethan grinned as all their friends watched in excitement.

  “Hailey, I knew from the moment I first saw you that you were meant to be mine. I’ll do everything in my power to protect both you and our future child. I love you more than anything. Will you marry me?”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at him. “Yes! Yes of course I will!”

  Everyone clapped and cheered as he slid the ring on her finger, the diamond twinkling in the evening light.

  “Hoorah!” one of the men whooped.

  “Congratulations!” Clarissa said excitedly. “Are you going to get married before the baby comes? We can have two weddings next summer!”

  Hailey began to laugh. “No way. I’ll be huge then! There’s no way I’m wearing a maternity wedding dress.”

  “Hell, I don’t care if we elope tomorrow,” Grayson said.

  “The CO might,” Logan quipped, taking a pull of his beer.

  The women gathered around to look at Hailey’s ring, and Ethan watched as Kim gave her a hug. He flipped the burgers and glanced back at his friends. “Damn. I’m still in shock about your first announcement. Congratulations. A baby and a wedding. Holy crap.”

  “Yeah, we noticed,” Hailey joked, smiling as Ghost lifted her hand and kissed it. She brushed her auburn hair back, but Ethan’s gaze slid to Kimberly. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes, but he could tell she was still happy for her friend.

  “Now you have someone to give all those wedding magazines to,” Taryn said. Jackson wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, looking confused
.

  Clarissa laughed, explaining to everyone else how she’d bought several when she and Blake got engaged, but they were now just stacked in a pile since they were both pretty low key and not into wedding details.

  “Yeah, I’d love to see them,” Hailey said. She looked at Grayson. “And we are totally not eloping. We’ll have a small wedding while I can still fit into a dress.”

  “Whatever you want is perfect,” he said, lightly kissing her in front of everyone.

  Jackson went inside to grab some more beers, and the guys toasted to their buddy’s big news.

  “There’s never a dull moment around here,” Blake said, smirking. “Our days at Salty Sunset seem like ancient history.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Troy said with a chuckle. “Some of us are still single.”

  “What happened to that blonde chick?” Ethan asked. Troy seemed to date women for a month or so before things ended. He’d had a date the last time they’d all been together at the barbecue at Jackson and Taryn’s townhouse but had shown up alone tonight.

  “She was too jealous,” Troy said. “My sister called me the other day because she had a flat tire. I was trying to help her over the phone, and the blonde totally flipped out on me.”

  “For helping your sister?” Kim asked in surprise.

  Troy shrugged. “It seems crazy, but yeah. We were running late to dinner, and she said I should’ve just called a tow truck. Which I eventually did, after my date kicked me out. I think she went out with her friends for the night instead.”

  Logan let out a low whistle. “You’re better off without that drama.”

  “Amen to that,” Grayson said.

  “Yeah, well. Her loss,” Troy said with a shrug. “I’ve always been pretty close to my sisters. It’s not like arriving to dinner ten minutes late would’ve messed up our evening.”

  “She sounds like a drama queen,” Kim said. “And speaking of dinner, Hailey, I never took you out for dinner and drinks to celebrate your move to San Diego. Now you’ve got the new job, a new fiancé, and a new baby on the way. I know you can’t have alcohol right now, but I’ll owe you about a million dinners.”