SEAL'd Shut (A Navy SEAL Standalone Romance Novel)

by Ivy Jordan

  “There is a stipulation,” she said slowly.

  My heart raced. “The car?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t mine to keep all along.

  “No. You are not required to give back the car, or the money. In fact, you are being compensated for the remainder of the first year of your contract,” she said.

  “What’s the stipulation?” I asked.

  “You have to attend a meeting with Mr. Clark, and his client. You will be given papers to sign releasing you from the contract, and from what I understood from the letter, you’ll also be given all former contracts to review,” she said.

  My mouth fell open. I was in awe. It was hard enough to believe that Gavin wasn’t asking for reimbursement, although why should he? He was the one who’d fucked this up, not me. My head was spinning with guilt, anger, confusion, and pain. “If I don’t go to the meeting?” I asked.

  “There was no threat that I noticed. But once you do not show on the date required, there could be further action brought against you,” Tiffany warned.

  “When is it?” I asked.

  “Monday morning,” she replied.

  “That’s too soon,” I exclaimed.

  “We don’t have anything to prepare. It will be quick and simple. You sign, we leave,” she stated.

  “What former contracts am I supposed to review?” I asked, pushing the blankets away from my body.

  “There is a letter in here from Gavin addressed to you; maybe that’ll explain what that means.” She picked up the letter, stuffed it back into the envelope, and handed it to me.

  My hand was shaking as I gripped the thickly stuffed envelope. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read the letter from Gavin. What could it possibly say?

  “I’ll leave you alone,” Tiffany stood from the bed, patted my foot, and then walked out, shutting the door behind her.

  I held the envelope close to my chest, staring up at the ceiling as if it would give me the answers I needed. This was hard, too hard. My heart was breaking already, seeing Gavin was only going to make it harder.

  I stuffed the envelope into the nightstand drawer and walked into the bathroom. I needed a shower, for more than one reason. I was hopeful that the warm water would not only wash away my stench, but would also give me a clear head.

  Water blasted onto my face and then poured down my body. As the strong streams of water flicked at my nipples, a familiar sensation worked up between my legs. I covered my face with my hands, letting the water roll between my fingers as I tried not to smile. I couldn’t stop thinking about Gavin, and how good he made me feel. Why did I even leave? It was just a job; that’s all, right?

  My eyes closed, imagining his wild grin. The water felt like his hands, softly caressing me as it slid down my hips. It felt like his tongue, as it flicked at my skin, teasing it as it tightened.

  For a moment, I could smell him, taste him, and truly feel him. Goddamn, I missed him!

  I walked around with the letter for the next two days, never reading it, but wanting to. The envelope was tattered, and the papers inside crinkled from how many times I unfolded it, and then quickly folded it back, just to stuff it back into its envelope.

  My feelings were still too strong. I’d told Tiffany how much I’d missed him, and that I knew I had fallen in love with him. She agreed that reading the letter would only complicate things if I couldn’t read it without emotion. I couldn’t.

  “We leave in thirty minutes,” Tiffany announced, peeking around the half-open guest room door.

  “Okay,” I replied.

  I sat on the edge of the bed, holding the envelope that contained Gavin’s letter. I couldn’t show up to the meeting without having read it, so I took it out. I unfolded the papers, and shuffled through them until I found the letter handwritten by Gavin and addressed to me.

  Dearest Stella,

  I understand how things must’ve looked to you, but I wanted to at least let you hear my side. Yes, Caroline is Isabella’s mother. She was a stripper, but working in a coffee shop when I met her. She was a wildly energetic woman: smart, beautiful, and fearless. I loved her, I truly did. She was never a contract, but is the reason I started using them.

  Her drug habit was well-hidden, at least for the first two months we dated. When I found out about her addiction, I placed her in rehab, and did everything I could to help her. She informed me she was pregnant, and at first, I was happy. I thought I’d finally found my chance at a family.

  What I didn’t know, was Caroline wasn’t clean, and fear that she’d hurt my child gravely concerned me. I took her in, hired a nurse to sit with her every day. She was under watch, ensuring she didn’t do anything to hurt herself, or Isabella. I thought my tactics had worked, and that she was finally clean, willing to be a mother to this beautiful little girl she’d just brought into the world. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  The first year of Isabella’s life involved finding her mother overdosed seven times, being left with strangers in a crack house while her mother scored more drugs, and being left in a department store because her mother was so high, she’d forgotten she’d had her with her on the trip.

  I paid her off, giving her enough money to set herself up for life, and offered her the finest rehab treatment center that money could buy. In exchange, she signed Isabella over to me, relinquishing all her parental rights. That was her choice, and I made sure she was sober when she made it, even testing her at the hearing.

  She wanted that money bad enough to stay clean to pass the test, but she couldn’t do that for her daughter.

  As for the contracts, after my experience, I wanted nothing to do with love. I did, however, want Isabella to grow up in a healthy, loving home, with a mother and a father.

  The meeting will provide you with all the former contracts to review. You can read through them and see for yourself what each contract entailed. I can assure you, yours was the only one that was so involved, and so intimate.

  This may have been a mistake on my part, creating a more intimate setting, but the other times were cold, stale, and felt like a business transaction. I wanted something more, but I got much more than I ever expected.

  I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.

  Gavin Bellefonte

  P.S. Izzy’s been missing you something terrible, and would love to still see you. I will do whatever you want, including never contacting you again if I have to. But as far as Izzy is concerned, if you would still like a relationship with her, I won’t stand in your way.

  “Let’s go,” Tiffany said, pushing open the door.

  Tears flooded my eyes, falling quickly to my cheeks. I let out a sob as I let the letter drop from hands onto the mattress. “Are you okay?” she asked, rushing to my side.

  “I just read his letter,” I sniffled.

  She shook her head and gave me a look filled with empathy. “Sweetie. Why?” she asked.

  I picked up the letter, held it to my chest and sighed. “It was beautiful,” I admitted.

  “We’re going to be late,” she said, motioning me toward the door. “We’ll talk in the car,” she added quickly.

  The ride there, I filled her in on what Gavin had written. “So, you think that is all true?” she asked.

  “I don’t think he has any reason to lie,” I replied.

  She nodded, and then smiled in my direction. She found a parking spot in the large garage and then gripped her briefcase tightly by her side. “You ready for this?” she asked.

  I nodded. I’d never been more ready for anything in my life. I suddenly couldn’t wait to see Gavin. I didn’t need the other contracts to know he was an honest man, a good man. He wanted only what was best for his daughter, whatever he done before me was just that, before me. I felt foolish for getting so upset before. But one thing I did know was I couldn’t go back to playing house with him and Isabella.

  “Good morning,” a tall, slender, red-headed woman greeted us as we entered the pale, brick building with the sign ‘Clark & H
arris’ on the door.

  “Mr. Clark will be right with you. Can I get you coffee or juice?” she asked.

  Tiffany shook her head and then quickly looked toward my direction. I shook my head as well, offering a smile to the woman who quickly disappeared to the back office.

  My heart skipped a beat when Mr. Clark entered the waiting room. The last time I saw him, he was driving off with Caroline in his car. I wondered where he’d dumped her that day. After reading Gavin’s letter, I knew it didn’t matter.

  “Good morning, ladies. Thank you for coming,” he said, motioning down the hall where several wooden doors led to what I suspected were meeting rooms. I wondered which one Gavin was behind. My hands started to sweat, and a lump in my throat grew quickly, making it tough to swallow.

  “Can I get some water?” I asked the red-headed woman as she opened the last door on the left and motioned us inside.

  “Of course,” she smiled, and took off to retrieve it.

  Gavin stood when we entered, his eyes locked onto mine. He smiled, just barely. It was obvious he was nervous, but just as excited to see me, as I was him.

  “We’ll make this short and sweet. I know you have a busy schedule,” Mr. Clark spoke directly to Tiffany.

  “Thank you,” she said, pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the table as Gavin.

  He waited for me to pull out my chair and sit before he took his own. He stared at me, smiling, and his blue eyes penetrating through my soul like hot knives.

  I didn’t speak, but I could feel my cheeks burning as they started to blush, and my lips curling into a smile against my control.

  Mr. Clark looked at me, smiled, and then looked at Gavin. “You two okay?” he laughed.

  I didn’t respond. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.

  “Here are copies of all former contracts, including the legal documentation between Mr. Bellefonte and Caroline Grace,” Mr. Clark said, pushing a stack of papers in a white file folder toward me.

  “I don’t need these,” I said softly.

  “They are yours to keep, to do whatever you wish,” he added with a smile.

  “I want you to know everything,” Gavin said, his voice so deep and sexy it vibrated my entire body.

  “If you sign this, all monetary gain will be kept intact, as well as release of the remainder of the year’s promised earnings, and the contract will be void,” he said, sliding myself, and Tiffany a copy of the same paper.

  “I don’t want the money,” I insisted, to which Tiffany gave me a warning glare.

  “We are not going to waste any more time drawing up new papers. Sign it, and if you don’t want it, just give it back,” she said with a smile.

  I reached for the pen, quickly scribbling my name where it stated. I pushed the paper back toward Mr. Clark, who quickly pushed it back toward Gavin. I watched as he signed. “I won’t take it back,” he smirked.

  God, that smirk. It drove me wild.

  “Okay. That’s it,” Mr. Clark said, standing from his seat.

  I slid my chair back, stood, and watched as Gavin did the same. My gut ached at the thought of leaving. I wanted to rush into his arms, to tell him I loved him.

  “Can I buy you breakfast?” Gavin asked.

  His voice melted me, weakening my knees, and sending butterflies into my stomach.

  “Yes,” I agreed, quickly, too quickly.

  Tiffany and Gavin’s attorney shared a glance, and a smile as they both shook their heads. Gavin reached for my hand, intertwining his fingers between mine, and winked.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispered as we walked out the door.

  I smiled, feeling that familiar tingle between my legs, given easily with just the sound of his voice. I thought to myself, If only he’d seen me two days ago.

  I wasn’t hungry, so I ordered coffee while Gavin worked on a stack of pancakes. “So, what do we do now?” he asked.

  I knew we couldn’t go back to the way things had been. I loved him. I couldn’t pretend with him anymore; that’s all I knew.

  “I don’t know. What should we do now?” I asked softly.

  He reached across the table, taking my hands in his. “Stella Griffin, I have a proposal,” he smirked.

  My heart raced as his eyes pierced into mine. His lips curled into that sexy, crooked smile I loved so much, and a deep sigh escaped from his throat.

  “This is territory I’m not familiar with, not comfortable with. But how would you feel about coming back home, as my girlfriend,” he said.

  His eyes locked onto me hard. I could almost taste the fear coming off of him.

  “I can’t go back to pretending,” I whispered.

  “I don’t want you to pretend. I don’t want to pretend. I love you, Stella,” he said, his voice starting to shake.

  “So, no contracts?” I asked.

  “No,” he said.

  “What if it gets messy?” I asked, remembering what he told me about real relationships, and why he didn’t want one.

  “A wise man once told me that life is messy, love is messy, and without love, there is no life,” he said.

  “What about Isabella?” I asked.

  “Izzy’s done nothing but whine about you coming back home since the day you left,” he said.

  “I love you, too, Gavin Bellefonte. Yes, I’ll come back home,” I gushed as he slid from his side of the booth and into mine.

  His arms wrapped around me, squeezing me tightly. It felt so good to have his lips on mine once again. I never wanted them to leave me again.

  Epilogue

  Stella

  Life had been a dream, truly a dream, for the last four years. Izzy was fourteen. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders, and her bright-blue eyes lit up the entire church as she walked down the aisle in her blue bridesmaid gown.

  She looked over her shoulder, winking at me as she started her walk toward her father. He was so handsome. He wore a grey tuxedo with a blue vest, and even though we were both ready for this day, you could see the anxiety oozing from his skin.

  The music played, and I took my first steps toward the rest of my life. It was a day like no other, and as long as I live, I’ll never forget it.

  “I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” the preacher announced proudly.

  Any sign of nervousness on Gavin Bellefonte fell away like cracked ice to the floor on a hot day once those words were spoken. He scooped me into his arms, lifting me from my feet. I shrieked with excitement from the swiftness and power of his movement. He stared into my eyes with that strange compassion I’d recognized when I was still just pretending. It wasn’t compassion: it was love. No more pretending.

  “I love you, Mr. Bellefonte,” I whispered.

  “I love you, Mrs. Bellefonte,” I replied softly.

  His lips met mine, for the first time as man and wife, and in front of everyone that mattered in our lives.

  Izzy rushed toward us, wrapping her arms around us both, and squeezing tightly. “I’m so happy,” she sighed.

  I was, too. I’d never been happier in my entire life.

  Yes, that was a day I’d never forget. The reception was beautiful, and we were greeted by family and friends, all saying they’d never seen a happier couple. Gavin was still grinning from ear to ear on the limo ride to our hotel. One night, and then we’d take off for Barcelona, where I’d finally experience all the things I’d pretended to before.

  Gavin pushed open the hotel door, scooped me back into his arms, and smiled before walking me through the threshold.

  That sexy smirk of his returned, and within seconds, I was tossed into the air and let loose to fall onto the mattress. I shrilled with fear and excitement as I bounced on my back from the force.

  “I’m gonna do bad things to you, Mrs. Bellefonte,” he teased, his grin growing as quickly as his cock.

  I giggled, crossing my legs and pushing my hand to my mouth as if I were scared.

  He stripped
out of his jacket, slowly removed his tie, and then unbuttoned his shirt with his eyes locked onto mine. I watched, excited to see the flesh he’d hidden behind the thin material of the dress shirt. “You want to see it all, don’t ya, dirty girl?” he teased.

  I nodded and grinned.

  “Okay. Prepare yourself,” he smiled.

  His hands gripped his belt, sliding it through the loops, and onto the floor. One quick motion opened his slacks, and with a quick push, they were around his ankles. He kicked his dress shoes off into the corner, and then stepped out of his pants.

  I could see his cock hardening beneath the material of his briefs. His thumbs rested at the top of the waistband, teasing me by pulling it down, and then stopping to grin. “You want it?” he asked.

  “I do,” I said.

  “Ohhhh. You do?” he teased, pulling them down and exposing his rock-hard cock.

  My pussy was wet somewhere underneath the piles of ruffles and lace of my dress. Gavin, my husband, stood at the edge of the bed, his hands on his hips, and his cock hard and ready for action.

  “I need to get out of this dress,” I giggled.

  “Oh, no. The dress stays on,” he ordered.

  My nipples pushed against the lace of my dress as my breasts swelled in anticipation. Gavin’s hand slid to my ankle, and then slowly slithered up my leg. I moaned as he touched me, and let out a sigh once he reached the wet spot between my legs.

  “You’re excited,” he announced.

  I shoved my pinky nail into my mouth and bit down as I nodded with a smile.

  “Roll over,” he demanded.

  I quickly rolled to my knees, pushing my body up with my hands and aiming my ass in his direction. My dress was full, and as Gavin worked to push the ruffles over my hips, and expose the flesh he’d been craving, I quivered with excitement.

  A slap to my flesh let me know he’d made his journey. His thumb slid between my thong and my flesh, and a quick tug back and forth created friction against my clit that sent another moan rolling from my throat.

  He teased me a bit before finally removing the panties that stood between my warm pussy and his erection.