Romanced by a SEAL: Hot SEALs

by Cat Johnson

  Crazy.

  Ali moving in had been step one. His finishing this undercover job had been step two. He had wanted to wait for a holiday to make his proposal extra special—like the fourth of July when they’d first met, or New Year’s Eve when he’d come home from deployment and they’d started dating—but that RPG was a wake up call.

  Why should he wait when it was what they both wanted?

  At least he’d thought it was what Ali wanted.

  What the fuck had happened to change her mind? It couldn’t be just that he’d sprung it on her. Surprise shouldn’t send a woman running for the hills in hysterics.

  He glanced at Chris. “Do you know of any other reason for her to react like this?”

  Chris’s eyes flew wide. “Me? Why would I know anything?”

  “Maybe because you’re engaged to—and practically living with—her best friend. And now she’s staying there too.”

  Chris swung his head. “Nope. Don’t know nothing.”

  “All right.” Jon sighed. “Christ, some of these things are expensive.”

  He squinted at the tiny price tags in the case and wondered if the store had a liberal return policy just in case she said no.

  “Why do you think I drove all the way to Alabama? My grandma’s ring was the right price for my taste. Free.” Chris laughed. “And Darci got all choked up because it was from my family.”

  “Yeah, you lucked out having an heirloom. I’ve got nothing like that in my family.” As Jon continued to peruse the choices, Chris pulled out his cell phone.

  “I just got a text from Darci. She wants me to invite you to dinner tonight.”

  Jon glanced up, afraid to get excited that this was the beginning of Ali’s forgiving him. But he had left the gift and a suitcase for her. “Darci wants me over? Or Ali?”

  “Don’t know. I can ask.” Chris held the phone in his hand, waiting for Jon’s answer.

  He shook his head. “I’m not coming unless the invitation is from Ali.”

  Ali couldn’t be pushed. She needed to do things in her own time. He knew that after all these years. In that way, they were very similar.

  “A’ight. I’ll tell her.” Chris punched in a text and waited.

  Jon waited right along with him, his pulse speeding when he heard the alert for a reply.

  Chris read the screen and then shook his head. “Sorry, dude.”

  He held up the cell for Jon to see.

  I’m working on it. Fingers crossed.

  Deflated, Jon tipped his head in a nod. “Okay. Thanks for asking.”

  He should be happy he had Darci in his corner for this fight. He’d be happier to not be having a fight at all.

  Jon glanced up as the salesman finally finished with another customer and approached. “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah.” On to his plan. Jon drew in a deep breath. “I need to see some engagement rings.”

  ~ * ~

  “Can I help you with dinner?” Ali asked Darci.

  “I’m good. Just going to throw together a quick salad. The lasagna is already in the oven. Oh, and I picked up some fresh bread while I was at the store.”

  “Great.” Ali did her best to keep the sarcasm out of her tone since she was a guest.

  Fresh bread, particularly if it was heated in the oven for just a bit to make the outside crusty and the inside warm enough to melt a pat of butter, was Ali’s weakness. She wasn’t going to be able to resist having a piece even if she really tried to avoid eating too many carbs.

  To hell with it.

  She wasn’t going to be able to avoid gaining weight for the next seven months anyway. She might as well take advantage of it and enjoy a damn piece of bread.

  While shaking the water off the wet lettuce she’d rinsed in the sink, Darci glanced at Ali.

  “You can set the table if you want. Three places . . . unless you invited Jon. Then set four.” The eternal matchmaker lobbed that not so subtle hint as Ali reached for the plates in the cabinet.

  Ali didn’t want to encourage Darci with an answer, but it would be rude to not tell her hostess how many people she would be serving for dinner. “There’s only three for dinner.”

  “Did you thank him for the VCR and for dropping off your clothes?”

  “Not yet.”

  “You’re going to though, right?” Darci interrogated Ali from behind the salad spinner.

  Ali rolled her eyes at her meddling friend. “Yes, I will.”

  “When?”

  Jeez. Apparently Darci wasn’t going to let this go. “Right now.”

  Ali disconnected her cell phone from the charger and punched in a quick text. Maybe this was better, her not having time to think too much about it. Not agonizing over every word. Just a quick thanks and done. Perfect.

  She hit send on the one line text and plugged the phone back in.

  “What did you say?”

  “Thanks for dropping that stuff off.”

  “That’s it? Just like that?”

  “Yes.” There was nothing else to say as far as Ali was concerned.

  But apparently there was more, because the phone beeped almost immediately after she’d set it down. She stared at it from a distance, like it was a snake about to strike.

  Darci’s eyes flew wide. “Oh my God. He’s replying.”

  “Of course, he is. Probably just saying you’re welcome.”

  Jon was nothing if not polite—when he wasn’t sneaking off to dangerous assignments without telling her.

  She drew in a breath, grabbed the cell again and read the text aloud to her nosy friend, “You’re welcome. See? I told you.”

  “Oh.” Darci looked so disappointed, Ali laughed.

  Feeling bad for not appreciating that all Darci wanted to do was help, Ali asked, “Want me to open a bottle of wine for you?”

  Darci’s pout deepened. “No. You can’t have any.”

  Ali lifted one shoulder. “So? You still can. I’m pouring you a glass.”

  “Really, I don’t need any wine.”

  “Darci, stop. I know you and there is no way I’m letting you have Italian food without a glass of red wine to go with it on my account.” Ali was about to move toward the wine rack when her cell beeped again.

  Darci whipped toward her, eyes wide. “Is it him?”

  Suspecting that herself Ali reached for the phone one more time.

  Can we talk in person? Somewhere alone. Not in front of Darci and Chris?

  “Well?” Darci came closer so only the narrow width of the kitchen island separated them.

  Ali put the phone face down on the end of the countertop out of Darci’s reach. “He just says if I need anything else from home to let him know.”

  “Oh.” Darci pursed her lips. “You could ask for something and then he’d have to come over to—”

  “No.” Ali cut that scheme off with a single firmly delivered word.

  “Fine. I think I will open that wine.” As Darci turned and headed for the dining room, Ali picked up the cell.

  She punched in a single word.

  Okay.

  Pulse racing, she really wished she could have a drink.

  CHAPTER 24

  A soft beep from her cell on the nightstand had Ali rolling over. In the dark bedroom, the glow of the phone’s display lit the whole side of the room with a blue light.

  Are you awake?

  She hadn’t been asleep, not for lack of trying. But Jon’s text message had her really awake now.

  Yes.

  She sent the reply and got a quick response.

  Check outside the front door.

  It was late, after eleven, but there was no question she was going to do exactly as the text instructed.

  Heart pounding, she padded barefoot from the bedroom, down the hall and across the living room to the front door. Flipping the locks, she opened the door as quietly as possible so she wouldn’t wake Darci and Chris.

  Sitting on the top step outside was a vase overflowi
ng with pink peonies.

  More than the fact he’d remembered her favorite flower and hadn’t gone with the typical choice of roses, she was pretty sure peonies weren’t in season now. Jon would have had to search to find a florist with them in stock.

  This man wasn’t making it easy for her to stay mad at him.

  Fine, she wasn’t mad anymore, but that didn’t change the fact there was now a baby on board Jon knew nothing about. And that would change everything.

  She stood frozen, realizing he had to be close. Ali peered into the darkness, searching.

  “Jon?” Her loud whisper didn’t travel very far.

  It turned out that it didn’t have to. Jon stepped out from behind the shrub to the right of the doorway. “Hi.”

  The sight of him creeping out of the bushes and looking so contrite had her letting out a breathy laugh even as she got teary eyed.

  Damn these pregnancy hormones.

  She managed to not cry as she said, “Hi.”

  “Sorry. I wasn’t planning on bothering you tonight. I just wanted to see if you found the flowers.”

  “You’re not bothering me. And they’re beautiful. Thank you.”

  He bent at the waist and picked up the overflowing vase. Taking the final step up, he stood level with Ali in the doorway.

  Jon held out the arrangement. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like them.”

  She more than liked them. She loved them. And him. So much.

  The first tear spilled over the rim of her lower lid as she reached blindly for the vase.

  Dammit.

  With the flowers occupying both her hands she couldn’t wipe the moisture away before he saw it.

  “Ah, Ali.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her.

  She drew in a stuttering breath and leaned her forehead against the wall of his chest, the flowers getting crushed between them.

  He sighed and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. They stood there in silence in the dark cold night for what seemed like a long while.

  Jon didn’t speak again, so she did. “Do you want to come inside?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

  Ali moved back and turned to lead the way. He closed the door softly behind him and followed her into the living room.

  She stood, looking around and deciding where to put the flowers. For the time being, she set them on the kitchen island. But later—after Jon left and she went back to bed—she was bringing them to her room. Call her selfish, but she didn’t feel like sharing.

  “So, you said you wanted to talk?” she asked, when she’d moved back to the living room.

  “It’s late. We don’t have to—”

  “No, it’s okay. I was awake. I haven’t been sleeping so great.” She perched on the edge of the sofa, choosing that over a chair so he could sit there too.

  “Yeah, I can understand that.” He drew in a breath and sat next to her.

  With the room illuminated by the overhead recessed lighting she’d flipped on to navigate her way to the door, she could see Jon clearly.

  She hadn’t noticed the full extent of his injuries at the condo. There was a dark bruise punctuated by a deep cut that had started to scab on his cheekbone.

  When she looked closer she saw more similar injuries. “What—” She caught herself asking a question he probably wouldn’t answer anyway and changed direction. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “Do you want to know what happened?”

  Shocked at the offer, she quickly agreed. “Yes. Of course.”

  “I was in a truck that overturned.”

  She drew in a sharp breath. “Oh my God.”

  “It’s okay. Just some cuts and bruises. A little bit of a concussion.” He locked his gaze on hers. “One of the reasons I try not to tell you too many details is because knowing them would make it harder for you than not knowing. Like this time. What happened sounds a lot worse than the result because I really am fine.”

  She shook her head. “No, Jon. Trust me. Not knowing is so much worse. That leaves room for my imagination to run wild. What I’m picturing is probably worse than reality.”

  “You do have an active imagination.” His mouth quirked up in the corner. “Okay. I’ll try to communicate better. Tell you what I can. When I can.”

  “And I’ll try not to get mad when there are things you can’t tell me.”

  “Thank you.” He let out a soft laugh. “Hey, look. This talking stuff actually works.”

  The joke from her ever-serious Jon twisted her heart. She forced a smile. “Yeah. Imagine that.”

  He was trying so hard. If a man were capable of changing, she knew that Jon, with his usual determination to excel at all things, would achieve it.

  But his seeming openness to communicate and compromise didn’t alter the reality the baby she carried would completely change his life, whether he was ready or not.

  Wanting change was one thing. Having it forced on him was quite another. She couldn’t stand to see resentment in his eyes when he looked at her, any more than she could stand living without him.

  “I missed you.” Jon shook his head. “No, present tense. I miss you.”

  “I miss you too.” Squeezing his hands with hers, she moved closer to him on the sofa until their knees touched.

  He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. “If you don’t feel at home in the condo, we can move somewhere that feels like ours instead of just mine.”

  She pulled back to see him better. “You’d move for me?”

  “Ali, yes. Of course. I’d kill or die for you. Moving is nothing.”

  Jon, when he was like this, made it so easy to see the light of hope for their future. Made the hell of the worry she’d endured seem distant.

  The overwhelming shadow of the secret she kept from him seemed to recede a bit as Jon leaned down and hesitated just shy of her lips, watching her. Waiting.

  She cupped his face with both hands and crashed her mouth against his.

  Kissing Jon was comfortable. Familiar. She desperately needed to feel that right now.

  It might be just avoidance on her part. Putting off the things she didn’t want to think about, talk about, but she didn’t care.

  She could only be strong for so long. She needed a break. Needed to lean on Jon’s strength for a bit. That need turned the kiss molten hot until she was crawling onto his lap.

  Once she told him about the baby, everything would change. She wanted that one last drop of pure happiness before reality rained down on their passion.

  One last time to be with Jon knowing for certain he was with her because he loved her, because he wanted to be, and not out of some sense of responsibility or duty.

  Pulling back just enough to speak she said, “Come to my room? I mean Rick’s room.”

  Eyes narrowed with desire, he said, “Gladly.”

  The realization that she was a guest in her best friend’s home, sleeping in her brother’s bed, started to sink in. “Is this weird? I mean it’s bad to do this here, right? Darci and Chris are—”

  “I don’t care.” Jon set Ali on her feet and stood. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her toward the bedroom.

  CHAPTER 25

  Jon was very aware of the hard outline of the ring box in the pocket of his jacket as he took it off and tossed it on Rick’s dresser. He was also very aware that it was indeed Rick’s bedroom in Darci’s house—but not for the same reason as Ali was worried.

  He knew Rick would get over them having sex in his bed. Jon’s objection was that Ali was staying here at all. He wanted her home, with him, and he was going to get her back one way or another even if it took making a new home for the two of them to do it.

  But that was a worry for later. Jon had something more important to do. He brought his hands to her face and leaned down. “Need you.”

  “I need you too.” Ali repeated his words but with tears in her eyes.

  S
he was upset. Hell, he was pretty upset himself. He’d asked the woman he loved to be his wife and that had sent her running.

  Jon was smart enough to learn from his mistakes. He wasn’t going to start a conversation about feelings now.

  Words had gotten him in trouble last time. Kissing her never had, so that’s what he did.

  He kissed her until her tears were forgotten and she was clinging to him so tightly there was no way he’d be able to get her clothes or his off. He was fine with that.

  After what he’d been through just being here alive and with her was perfect.

  Kissing Ali was like waking up from a coma, opening your eyes and seeing the light for the first time.

  Sadly, he knew exactly what that felt like from past experience. He really needed to rethink his career path.

  That wasn’t going to happen now. Not with Ali, warm and needy, pressed against him.

  He pushed everything that wasn’t her out of his head. No more thinking about Chris and Darci just on the other side of the hall, or that this was Rick’s room, or that he had created a hell of a mess of his relationship for a job that hadn’t followed the plan it was supposed to.

  Instead he concentrated on the warmth of her mouth as he plunged his tongue between her lips. The curves of her hips beneath his hands as he held her close. The softness of the ugly old flannel pajamas she loved so much. The sound of her soft sighs as she melted against him.

  He needed to bury himself in this woman and prove to her they belonged together. Tonight. Forever.

  Lifting her, he moved the few steps to lay her on the bed. As she watched he began to strip off the clothes that had frustrated him simply because they were a barrier between them.

  When he pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto the dresser, he saw Ali’s eyes widen. As she focused on the purple bruising on his torso, he said, “Ali, it’s just a bruise. It looks worse than it is.”

  She swallowed hard enough he saw her throat work, before she raised her gaze to his eyes. “Okay.”

  He wasn’t sure he believed that she could accept he was fine. That she would be able to move past the colorful evidence painting his body proving how close he’d come to not being okay.

  He made quick work of getting out of his remaining clothes, leaving them where they fell on the floor, and joined Ali on the bed where he could better distract her.