Aubrey reminded herself to stop dwelling on the possibilities of what could go wrong. Just get back in the saddle, she told herself. She took a deep breath and launched her body fully into the ocean. The salty water splashed against her face and dampened her hair as she started slicing through the waves with powerful, rhythmic strokes of her arms. She had expected to feel nervous and panicky as her feet left the safety of the ocean floor, but the water was having a surprisingly calming effect on her. She smiled as she continued to swim, pleased with herself for having the courage to face the ocean. She loved the water, and she wasn’t going to let one bad experience ruin that for her. She would tell her team that they could send her back into the open ocean on the next overnight expedition. She was ready to get back to doing the work that she loved.
After about twenty minutes of swimming, Aubrey swam back toward the spot on the shoreline where she had initially entered the water. She stopped swimming and stood up when the water was about waist deep, so that she could walk the final short distance to the beach. She pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair, and let her wet hair fall around her shoulders in that breezy, undone “beach waves” look that she loved—and that those who didn’t live near the ocean spent hours trying to replicate with various hair styling products. She was staring off at a surfer in the distance as she made it to the dry sand, and she didn’t even notice Brett until he was right next to her.
“Hey, Aubrey. Are you gonna say hi, or am I old news already?” he asked.
Aubrey startled, and then smiled when she saw it was Brett. Her heart did a flip flop at the sight of him, standing there in a pair of gym shorts and a tight t-shirt that showed off his chest muscles. “Sorry,” she said. “I was lost in my thoughts. It’s good to see you. What are you doing over here by the university, though? This is pretty far from the Coast Guard Station.”
“I had the day off,” he said. “I tried to keep myself busy with running errands all day, but I finally realized it was useless to try to push you out of my mind. I had to see you again, so I came to the marine biology department here at the university and asked about you. Someone said they’d seen you heading to the beach in a wetsuit, so I came down here hoping I’d find you.”
Aubrey couldn’t keep a silly grin from spreading across her face. It was exactly the kind of answer she’d been hoping to hear. She had half-expected him to make up some excuse about being around the area anyway, but Brett didn’t seem like the type to play games. If he knew he wanted something, he went for it. And Aubrey couldn’t keep a little thrill from running through her at the thought that what this gorgeous man wanted was her. She tilted her head to look at him with a playful smile. “And why where you hoping to find me?” she asked.
“I never got your phone number,” he said. “Which was pretty stupid of me. How was I supposed to ask you out without a way to call you?”
Aubrey blushed and glanced down at her feet. His expression was so intense that it was hard for her to look into his eyes without her mind traveling to places on his body far beyond his eyes. “Well, you found me now,” she said coyly, pulling her gaze back up to meet his. “Would you like my number so you can call me later and ask me out, or would you rather just ask right now?”
Brett threw back his head and laughed. “Smartass,” he said. “I’ll just ask now, although I’m hoping I’ll still be able to get your number.”
Aubrey didn’t say anything. She just stood in front of Brett, patiently waiting for him to continue. His dark brown hair was cropped short and stood neatly against his scalp. His deep blue eyes looked like sapphires, sparkling in the late afternoon sunshine. She got so lost in them that she almost forgot to pay attention to what he was saying.
“Aubrey, I had a wonderful time with you on the beach the other night. I can’t help but think that fate somehow brought us together. I’d like to get to know you better, and I’m hoping you feel the same way. There’s a military ball next weekend, and I would love it if you would be my date.”
Aubrey stared back at him for several long seconds, unsure of how to respond. Her heart was screaming at her to say yes. Who wouldn’t want to go to a ball with such a gorgeous man, who just so happened to have saved her life? She wondered if he would be wearing a military dress uniform. The thought of seeing him dressed up like that sent shivers of delight up and down her spine. But despite her heart’s insistence that she’d be an idiot not to accept, her head still told her it was a bad idea. Brett was still coming off of a bad breakup, after all. And she had sworn she wouldn’t be his rebound. Besides that, the reality of the situation was that they both had crazy work schedules. How would they ever make a relationship work? They would never see each other, and eventually one of them would get frustrated and throw in the towel. Probably him, since Aubrey felt like she was always the one on the receiving end of those decisions.
“Aubrey?” Brett asked, still waiting. His face had taken on a worried look, and the concern in his eyes made Aubrey’s heart tighten in her chest. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but how could she go on a date with someone with whom she already knew she could never make it work?
“I’m flattered that you asked me,” Aubrey said, trying to choose her words carefully. “But I’m not sure that now is the best time for me to start a relationship with you. I don’t think I’m ready for anything serious.”
Brett’s face fell. “I’m not asking you to marry me, Aubrey. Just to go to a ball with me. It will be fun.”
“I’m sure it will. But you just broke up with someone, under not so great circumstances. How do I know I’m not just some fun little way for you to get over her?”
Brett looked hurt. “I’m not trying to replace her with you. I’ve done a lot of thinking since I walked in on Michelle cheating on me. I realized there were a lot of warning signs that I missed, because I had let myself be blinded by love. There were a lot of things wrong with that relationship that I just didn’t want to see, because I wanted so badly for everything to work out. What happened really hurt. I’m not going to lie about that. But, at the end of the day, I’m honestly glad it’s over. It would have never worked in the long run, and the sooner I realized that the better. I don’t want to take you on a date to replace my ex. The last thing I want is another girl like her. And I don’t need you so that I can get over her. I’ve already made my peace with the situation. I want to take you on a date because I had a great time with you the other night, and I want the chance to get to know you better. That, and you’re smoking hot. All the guys will be jealous of me if I show up with some eye candy like you on my arm.” Brett winked at Aubrey.
Aubrey started tracing a line back and forth in the sand with her toe, stalling her answer to Brett.
“Come on, Aubrey. Just give me a chance. If you have an awful time, you never have to see me again after the ball.”
“What about our crazy work schedules?” Aubrey asked. “You know as well as I do that long hours and unpredictable days off tend to wreak havoc on a relationship.”
Brett smiled. “I know. But let’s just take it a day at a time. Are you available next Saturday?”
Aubrey nodded.
“Good. So am I. Would you like to come to a military ball with me?”
Aubrey smiled, and nodded again. “Okay,” she said. “As long as you understand I’m not making any long term promises.”
“Deal,” Brett said, then pulled his cell phone out of his shorts’ pocket. “Now, how about that phone number I was asking for?”
Aubrey smiled, and gave him her number. The military ball did sound intriguing, and she could use a night of fun. Most of the time, she was so exhausted by the time she finished work that she spent her nights off parked in front of the television, streaming old sitcoms on Netflix. It would be nice to switch things up. If nothing else, she’d get to spend another evening hanging out with the Coast Guard hottie who had saved her life. Not too bad of deal.
Brett took her number, and then said he had to
take off for dinner plans with his buddies. Aubrey watched him walking away across the beach, his calf muscles flexing easily as they passed over the uneven, soft sand. His broad shoulders and toned ass made him just as pleasing to look at from the back as from the front.
She could hardly wait to see what his sexy body looked like in a military dress uniform.
Chapter Five
“Just a minute,” Aubrey’s voice called from behind the door.
Brett was standing nervously on Aubrey’s small front porch, sweating a bit in his dress blues. He was beginning to think that he had been out of his mind to ask Aubrey to the ball with him. He had decided, even after her disappointingly neutral reaction to his kiss, that he wanted a chance to date her. He had tracked her down near the marine biology department of the university where she worked, and, boy, had he been glad he did. The sight of her coming out of the water had been a vision to behold. Her reddish brown hair, a mess of wet curls from her ocean swim, had been lit from behind with the blazing light of the afternoon sun. Her wetsuit had clung tightly to her skin, giving him a clear view of her beautiful, generous curves. He loved the rounded edges of her body, and he loved that she was perfectly comfortable in her own skin. She had no qualms about standing right in front of him in her tight wetsuit. She made no attempts to cover her stomach by crossing her arms, like so many women he had met out on these beaches. Aubrey knew her figure was on display, and she didn’t even flinch. She didn’t need his approval, or anyone else’s. Which had only made Brett more desperate to convince her to come to the ball with him.
But now that he was standing outside her front door, he was beginning to worry about what his fellow alphas would say. He’d told them at dinner about what happened with Michelle, and they’d been sympathetic. But they’d also told him that this was why they never dated. The life they led was too dangerous and unpredictable for a relationship to fit well into it. Brett had decided not to mention that he was bringing a new girl to the ball, and he knew that there would be several raised eyebrows when he walked in with Aubrey.
He knew the guys were right about the unpredictability of their lives. Aubrey even knew they were right—she had already brought up concerns about their work schedules, and they hadn’t even been on an official date yet. But, what was he supposed to do? Spend his whole life alone, because he couldn’t always guarantee that he’d be home on a Friday night? Surely, there must be a girl out there willing to deal with that.
Brett sighed again. Sure, there were a few girls willing to deal with that. But finding a girl who could handle his schedule and handle his bear was another story. He knew it was going to be difficult, but he had to try. Aubrey seemed levelheaded, and she understood what it meant to have a crazy schedule. Maybe she could be patient enough with him to not run in the other direction the first time he had to unexpectedly cancel plans due to work. And maybe he could convince her that dating a bear wasn’t a completely insane idea.
One step at a time, Brett told himself as he heard footsteps approaching the door. For now, let’s just concentrate on getting through tonight.
When Aubrey opened the door, all of Brett’s nervousness was replaced with awe. She had chosen a strapless emerald green dress that brought out the reddish tint in her hair. The bodice of the dress was fitted, but the skirt, which ended just above her knees, was loose and flowy. She had let her hair fall in long, loose curls around her bare shoulders, and she had given her eyes a smoky, charcoal look using dramatic eye shadow and mascara. She had kept the rest of the makeup on her face simple, with just a hint of blush, and soft, nude shade of lipstick.
“Wow,” Brett managed to get out. “You look stunning.”
Aubrey smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “You look pretty great yourself.”
Brett smiled and offered his arm to her. “Shall we?” he asked.
She took his arm and let him lead her to his car. They rode the short distance in silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts about where the night might lead. As soon as Brett parked, he jumped out and went around the car to get Aubrey’s door for her. The way she smiled at him as she took his hand made his heart beat faster. Let the guys tease him all they wanted. They couldn’t deny that he was a lucky man to have such a beautiful woman on his arm.
As usual, the military ball was kicking off with a cocktail hour. Brett grabbed a glass of wine for himself and for Aubrey, then started glancing around to see if any of the other alphas were there yet. He didn’t see them, and he was soon interrupted by one of the Senior Chief Petty Officers known for being overly talkative. Brett groaned internally as the officer started asking Aubrey a million questions, many of which were personal enough to be considered rude. But Aubrey didn’t miss a beat. She smiled and handled his interrogation with grace, and Brett found himself falling even further for her. She’d made it clear that she wasn’t the type to shy away from uncomfortable or awkward situations. He felt a hopeful stirring within him. Maybe she would be able to handle a bear, as well.
By the time the other alphas arrived, the receiving line was about to start. Lance and Ace both raised eyebrows in Brett’s direction when they saw Aubrey on his arm, and Ben rolled his eyes heavenward in an overly exaggerated manner. But Brett didn’t have a chance to attempt an explanation before the receiving line started. Brett followed Aubrey through the line, greeting fellow service members, and stealing glances every now and then at his date’s sexy shoulders. When the horn sounded for dinner, he led Aubrey toward the table to which they had been assigned. Lance, Ace, and Ben were seated at the table, too, along with two other couples whom Brett had never met before. Ordinarily, Brett got annoyed when he had to share the table with people he and the other alphas didn’t know. It tended to cramp their conversation style. But tonight, Brett was silently thankful for two strange couples. They would force his buddies to be on their best behavior.
“So, who is this lovely lady?” Ben asked as they all sat down.
“Everyone, this is Aubrey. We actually had the pleasure of saving her during that sinking boat search and rescue mission last week. I happened to run into her at a bar, and she was kind enough to agree to come to the ball with me.”
The mood at the table instantly lightened.
“No kidding!” Lance exclaimed. “You were one of the survivors from that night? I thought you looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure why. You look a little different in a cocktail dress than in a lifejacket with soaking wet hair.”
Aubrey laughed. “I very much prefer the cocktail dress to the lifejacket. I love the ocean, but that near-death experience wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Thank you all for what you did to save my colleagues and me that night. I’m obviously very grateful.”
“Just doing our job,” Lance said. “I’m Lance, by the way. I’m the flight technician, which means I’m the one manning the rope that pulls the rescue basket up from the water.”
“Nice to meet you, Lance,” Aubrey said. “Thanks for pulling me out of the ocean.”
“This is Ace, the pilot, and Ben, the copilot,” Brett said. “All really great guys. Very talented at what they do. Keeping that helicopter steady over the ocean in crazy winds takes a lot of skill.”
Aubrey expressed her thanks to Ace and Ben, and asked them several questions about their job and how they liked it. Her questions were intelligent, and the other alphas seemed impressed with her. Brett wasn’t holding his breath, though. He knew as soon as they had a moment alone with him, he was going to be blasted with demands for an explanation. They found their chance about an hour later, when the other two couples at the table had gone to dance, and Aubrey excused herself to go to the restroom.
“What the hell, man. We worked together all day yesterday and you didn’t bother to mention the girl? Can you trust her?” Lance asked. The question wasn’t about whether Brett could trust Aubrey to be faithful, and Brett knew it. Lance wanted to know if Aubrey was going to pose a threat to the shifters if she found out they were secretly hiding
pandas inside of them.
Brett resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Of course I trust her. If I didn’t do you think I would have invited her to the ball?”
“Well, I hope you’re right. You barely know her, and you we can’t take any chances on being found,” Lance said, crossing his arms.
“She’s way more trustworthy than Michelle ever was, that’s for sure,” Brett said. “And she doesn’t know anything about shifting. I won’t say anything yet. But for fuck’s sake, do we have to go through this song and dance any time I want to take a girl on a date? I know we have to be careful. I get that. But what’s the point in having survived the Great Epidemic if we can’t live a little bit now?”
“Sorry that it’s inconvenient for you to be careful,” Ben said, his voice dripping with annoyance as he crossed his arms. “But you have to think about more than just yourself. We’re the last of the panda shifters in North America, and you know there are a lot of people out there who would love to wipe us out completely.”
Brett laughed. “Well, if none of us ever meet a girl and have a cub, then the panda shifters are going to die out naturally. Panda shifters aren’t immortal, you know. Not even those of us with the alpha gene.”
“Guys, come on. Don’t get into the same old argument again,” Ace said. “I’m so sick of having this same discussion over and over. Brett knows to be careful. Let him be.”
Ben frowned. “Well, if he was so careful than why didn’t he realize that his last girl was running around on him?”
Brett felt a nerve in his forehead twitch as he fought back the urge to jump up and punch Ben. It wouldn’t be the first time two bears in their group had come to blows. Put four alphas together, and you were bound to have some egos colliding with each other. But a military ball wasn’t the place for a fist fight. Going at it in here was bound to draw unwanted attention.
An Alpha's Storm (Water Bear Shifters 1) Page 4