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

by Ivy Jordan

  The two Secret Servicemen that followed Adam were standing on Rowena’s front stoop. I opened the door and they parted, revealing Adam in jeans, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap. “What are you doing here?” I gasped, quickly reaching for his arm and pulling him inside.

  “I had to see you,” he explained.

  Instantly, my body reacted with swelling, pulsations, and tingles in spots I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt come alive before. “What if someone has seen you?” I growled.

  He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “You’re worth it. To see you, like this, it’s worth it,” he said, his eyes moving upward and above my head.

  Oh God! I still had a towel on my freakin’ head. I ripped it off, shaking my long, sandy-blonde hair out to fluff it up.

  His hands were quickly on my hips, his mouth on mine, and his tongue warm and wild against mine. My craving returned in full force with a new, stronger hunger than before. My body rolled into his, pressing my breasts against his hard chest, and my pelvis into his thigh. He drove me wild, made me lose control. This couldn’t happen.

  “No,” I gasped, pulling from our passionate embrace.

  “You don’t want this?” he asked.

  I couldn’t deny my attraction. “I do want it,” I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

  Adam pulled me back into him, letting his mouth slide down my neck to the top of my breasts.

  My nipples pushed hard against the material of the tank top, begging for attention. Adam quickly obliged my body’s pleading and covered my left breast with his mouth, sucking in my flesh through the thin material.

  His tongue flicked at my nipple, and then his teeth clamped against it, tugging gently until I moaned.

  “Adam. We can’t do this,” I insisted, pulling back away.

  “I’m the president. I can do whatever I want. You can do whatever you want,” he said.

  “I wish it were that easy,” I admitted, feeling my juices slide from my pussy and down my inner thigh.

  His cock pushed hard against the denim, begging to be released and pleasured. My mouth watered at the thought of taking him into my mouth, tasting him, pleasing him. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked softly.

  “No. But I think you have to,” I said remorsefully.

  “This can be great. It will be great,” he said with a smile.

  “One of us will end up the bad guy, and if it’s me, it’d ruin my career,” I argued.

  “I think the American people would love to see me with you,” he insisted.

  “Maybe so, but they may not,” I said.

  “I’m not giving up, Quinn,” he said with a grin.

  He pulled me in one last time, kissing me softly on the lips, and then the neck. “Damn, you’re sexy,” he growled, biting me gently on the top of my breast.

  He stepped back, took a long look at me, lingering on my eyes for what felt like an eternity. “No. I won’t give up,” he assured me, and then turned to let himself out Rowena’s front door.

  I missed him already.

  Chapter Five

  The mug in my hand was warm and soothing, and the hot java inside it was the jolt I needed to start my day. I hadn’t slept, not after Adam had left. My mind was frazzled, and my body tortured with sexual tension.

  My phone beeped, alerting me that my driver had arrived. I stuffed the papers I’d been working on into my briefcase, slipped on my black jacket over my deep-blue blouse, and rushed out the front door.

  “Good morning, Ms. Hamilton,” the driver greeted me as he held open the back door.

  “Good morning, Lou,” I smiled.

  He was my regular driver since I’d arrived, a kind man with a round belly, a pudgy nose, and warm smile. I slipped into the backseat, immediately pulling out my mirror and checking my face and hair as he drove me to the White House, to Adam.

  “Do you have the schedule?” Michael asked with urgency as I walked into the overwhelming foyer.

  “Yes. I finished it up last night,” I replied, pulling the final copy from my bag.

  He gripped the paper, glanced quickly at the itinerary I’d created, and pursed his lips together. “A triathlon?” he asked with disapproval in his tone.

  “Yes. Adam used to race all the time,” I insisted.

  “Used to,” he said, his eyebrows lifting.

  “I know he is still in amazing shape. It is for charity, and the American people need to see his strength so they can truly embrace the younger president,” I pushed.

  He nodded, seemingly agreeing with my decision, and motioned for me to follow as he headed down the long hall.

  “The president needs to approve this right away,” he said, walking the familiar path towards the oval office.

  I’d taken Adam’s advice and created a cheat sheet, complete with maps for the White House, and directions to get to all the important areas for which I had access.

  “Mr. President?” Michael knocked and announced his arrival as he opened the Oval Office door.

  “Yes. Come in,” Adam said, motioning for us to enter.

  The two Secret Service men that stood outside the office door were the same ones that escorted Adam to Rowena’s house the night before.

  My cheeks blushed with heat as my eyes struggled to avoid contact. Neither of the men even looked my way, trained to stay out of any personal affairs, I presumed.

  “The final schedule is ready for your approval,” Michael said, neglecting to give me any credit for its creation.

  It was awkward facing Adam, but he continued with complete professionalism. . “Let me take a look,” he said, taking the paper from Michael and offering me a quick glance.

  His smile was warm, but not flirty, easing my anxiety. “Wow, this looks like a pretty good mix,” he said, and then turned his attention to me. “This is your work?” he asked, but offered a tone that said he already knew it was.

  “Yes,” I agreed, smiling just enough to be polite, but not to show any signs of my giddiness.

  I could still taste his sweet kiss on my lips, and feel his tight grip on my ass. Stop it, Quinn!

  “It looks like I’ll be traveling for a couple of these events. Can you clear your schedule?” he asked, looking directly at me.

  His voice was filled with authority and strength, and nowhere on his expression could I see the desire, passion, and desperation he’d shown me just hours ago.

  “Yes, Mr. President,” I agreed, keeping the same professional tone.

  Michael’s eyes were on me; I could feel them without even having to look in his direction. My nerves were shaken as I remembered him finding me in such bad shape after our first make-out session.

  “Thank you, Ms. Hamilton, Michael,” Adam said quickly.

  The door to the Oval Office opened to reveal the VP and the two Secret Service men. Michael turned to leave, motioning for me to follow.

  It was a relief to be out of the office, away from Adam and out of Michael’s judging eyes. “Great job,” Michael said, surprising me by his kindness.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “It’s good that you know him so well. That’s already proven to be valuable with the first round of PR events,” he smiled.

  Wow. Michael Guidry complimented me.

  The rest of my day was spent with the press secretary. We discussed the mood of the people, which was fortunately mostly good. There were still questions about Adam’s divorce, and allegations his ex-wife had made before he ran for office. “You were the one closest to him during that time. And from what I understand, the one who helped clear it up,” Guy Louvre, the press secretary, stated matter-of-factly.

  “It was not so much cleared up as it was never proven,” I pointed out.

  “A single POTUS is always a struggle to keep in a good light,” Guy said. “A divorced one with a jilted, vindictive, and angry ex-wife is even harder to keep in the good graces of the people,” he added.

  “What’s your plan?” I asked, hoping that we could work together to
keep Adam looking confident and worthy until he had been given enough time to prove himself.

  “Find him a woman,” Guy chuckled.

  I swallowed hard. “I think it’s not wise to have him date so soon in office,” I argued, feeling a trace of jealousy flow through my veins.

  “It’s just always easier to show the soft side of a POTUS when there is a first lady involved,” Guy insisted.

  I couldn’t agree with him more from a PR standpoint, but I knew I wanted to be that woman, and that for me—for us—now wasn’t the time.

  “There are plenty of amazing qualities that we can focus on,” I assured him.

  “I’ll leave that to you then,” Guy said, sounding defeated, but not convinced I was making the right decision.

  I glanced over his notes, changing a few comments about the scandal surrounding Adam’s ex-wife. “Stick to the facts. We know she’s lying, but we have no proof, nothing solid to make her this vindictive person she’s proven to be,” I stated.

  “But we need to explain Adam’s side,” he argued.

  “No, we don’t. Simply say there was never any proof to her allegations, and even though she was given every opportunity to provide names of the women she claimed to know had relations with her husband at the time, she never followed through. The president has always maintained his innocence in these allegations, and the court documents from their divorce have been made public and show no allegations that match what has since been said by the former Mrs. Andrews,” I spouted off quickly.

  He nodded, jotted down what I said, and disappeared into his office to make his final draft for my approval.

  Adam flew to Texas with the VP, one of the states he’d lost in the race. I’d created a list of things for him to say, not to say, and even what to wear while he visited. I was both excited and nervous to spend the few minutes alone with him in the Oval Office to brief him on my notes. “Do you have the notes?” Michael asked.

  I pulled the folder from my briefcase and handed them to him, assuming he’d offer for me to tag along to deliver them.

  He glanced over them, chuckling as he read. “Wow, you didn’t leave anything out, did you?”

  “No. I think it’s best to give as much detail as possible,” I smiled.

  “I’ll deliver these now. Why don’t you head home?” Michael suggested.

  “There are still a few things I’d like to go over, and of course, if he has any questions—” I said, cut off by Michael’s interruption.

  “I think this is more than enough. If he has questions, I’ll contact you,” he said with a stern smile.

  I knew my face expressed my disappointment with my mouth parted, my eyes narrowed, and my jaw clenched tightly. Michael didn’t seem to notice, or care. “Have a good weekend, Quinn,” he said, and then turned to walk away.

  Rowena sat on the back deck, sipping a glass of wine and thumbing through a magazine. “How was work?” she asked as I stepped outside.

  “I love it,” I said excitedly.

  She rolled her eyes and gave a small chuckle at my over-acting. She knew me well enough to know that I couldn’t possibly be that excited over my glorified babysitter-secretary position.

  “How was your spa?” I asked, hoping to change the topic

  “It was amazing,” she sighed, leaning back on the lounge chair, and closing her eyes as if she were remembering her experience. “So, what do you love about the job?” she asked, snapping back to the topic I knew would end on Adam.

  “It’s just exciting being in the White House,” I said quickly.

  “You mean it’s exciting being in the White House with Adam?” she asked with a smirk.

  “That’s not what I said. I’ve barely seen Adam,” I shot back with a quick smile.

  She seemed to be satisfied with my response, going back to her relaxing state without more questions or concerned looks.

  I took my work into my bedroom, going over the itinerary for the upcoming events. My heart fluttered as my eyes glanced at the events I knew he’d asked me to clear my schedule in order to be able to attend by his side. It would be like our days on the campaign trail—well, sort of.

  My stomach was twisting with emotion and worry as I realized the trips could end with us in bed together. He’d said he wasn’t going to give up, and I knew it wouldn’t take much for me to finally give in.

  By Sunday evening, the anxiety of falling into Adam’s arms and the wrath of the media was more than I could bear. I had to talk to him, and at work, it was proving impossible.

  I dialed his personal cell phone, hoping he’d be alone when he answered.

  “Hello,” he said, a sweet Southern twang flirting in his voice.

  “Sounds like Texas wore off on you,” I chuckled.

  “Why, yes, ma’am, it surely did,” he laughed.

  It was obvious he was alone from his playful tone, so I took a deep breath.

  “I would like to talk, about… us, if that’s okay,” I said.

  “This is something I’d prefer to do in person. Can you come to dinner tonight?” he asked.

  “At the White House?” I asked, surprised by the suggestion.

  “Yes. I’ll send a car for you,” he said quickly.

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I said.

  His voice was deep as it let out a chuckle. There was something sexy in the vibration of his throat rumble.

  “It’s just dinner. The place is fairly private on the weekends,” he said.

  “Okay,” I agreed, even though I knew it wasn’t the best of ideas.

  “I’ll send the driver to Rowena’s at seven,” he said, and then paused.

  I listened to the silence, wondering if there wasn’t something else he wanted to say, or expected me to say.

  “Thank you,” I said finally, and then hung up before another awkward silence.

  “Where are you off to?” Rowena asked.

  I stood in the living room, wearing a sleek, sexy black cocktail dress, and my finest diamond necklace to accentuate my cleavage. “Dinner,” I admitted.

  “Wow. He’s going to be knocked off his feet,” she said with a smile.

  “Is it too much?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious of my choice.

  “Too much? Is it personal or business?” Rowena asked.

  “Both, I guess,” I stammered.

  Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pursed tightly together as she gave me a once over. “Quinn,” she scolded.

  My cheeks blushed with heat as my eyes tried to unlock from hers. “It’s not what you think,” I said.

  “So, it is Adam?” she asked, prodding.

  “Yes,” I admitted quickly.

  “How will that look? You two out on a date for dinner?” she questioned.

  “We won’t be out. He’s sending a car, and it’s at the White House,” I explained.

  Rowena sighed and rolled her eyes. “That’s even worse,” she groaned.

  “We just want to talk,” I said.

  She chuckled. “There won’t be much talking with you in that dress.”

  I knew she was right. What was I thinking? I should change. “Looks like your driver’s here,” she said, peeking out the front window.

  Shit!

  “Should I change?” I asked just as my phone beeped to alert me to the driver’s arrival.

  “You can’t keep the POTUS waiting,” she smirked.

  She was right again.

  I offered my sister a weak smile and slid out of the front door. Lou immediately complimented me on my attire, making me even more aware that I’d dressed for a hot date, not for the talk I needed to have with Adam.

  “Have a great night. I’ll be here to collect you when you’re ready,” Lou said with a strange smile.

  “Thank you,” I said, and walked towards the two Secret Service men that were waiting and ready to escort me to the dining room.

  Adam stood at the long wooden table with a drink in his hand. His dark hair had speckles of gr
ay, his blue eyes widened upon landing on my image, and his lips, his delicious lips, curled into a crooked smile.

  He nodded to the men who’d escorted me to the private dining room, and they quickly disappeared out of the room, closing the door behind them.

  We were alone, in the White House, me, wearing this dress, and Adam wearing that sexy smile; we were alone.

  “You look ravishing,” he said, his smile widening as he spoke.

  My cheeks burnt, my palms beaded up with sweat, and my tongue frantically rolled around the back of my upper teeth.

  “Thank you. You look very handsome,” I said softly.

  His dress shirt sleeves were rolled to just below his elbows, and his jeans were perfectly pressed and bright-blue denim. He was casual, and I was anything but casual.

  “Would you like a drink?” he asked, his voice somewhat shaken. Was he nervous?

  “Yes, please,” I agreed, but scolded myself to keep it just one.

  I couldn’t afford to lose control, not around Adam.

  “What’s your pleasure?” he asked, his confidence returning in his tone.

  “White wine,” I replied, still standing at the entrance of the grand room.

  Adam moved to the bar, pouring me a white wine into a long-stemmed crystal glass. I walked toward him, my knees weakening with each step.

  “Thank you,” I said, taking the glass from his hand.

  He held on for a second, allowing his hand to graze against mine. Just that touch, that simple, quick touch, sent electricity through my veins.

  “I’m overdressed,” I whispered.

  He smiled wide, his eyes glistening against the light in the room. “No. You look amazing.”

  “I—I just… I’ve never had dinner at the White House before, let alone with the president of the United States,” I said playfully.

  I sipped on my wine, letting it soothe my nerves as he chuckled at my comment.

  “This is all new to me too, Quinn,” he said softly.

  He extended his hand to mine, pulling me closer. “You smell terrific,” he whispered, slowly allowing his nose to slide just inches from my neck.

  My nipples hardened, but my body relaxed, almost melting into him at his words.