“We saved sixteen girls. The mayor is going to jail, along with several from his task force. The F.B.I. is chasing bad guys from here to whatever crevice or crack they crawled out from. This time, the good guys won, Jason. I can finally say, I’m a force for good. Jason, I did it!”
“Kiley, but not again. Do you promise me?”
“I’m not going to promise you anything until you get your butt over here. Then we’ll talk. And Mr. Riley here wants to have a sit down with all of you, too. I think you’d better hear what the man has to say. He wants me there as well.”
Jason smacked his forehead with his palm but bit his tongue. Now that Kiley had had a taste of adventure, he could see she was hooked. The scared woman he met on the beach that day had turned into a monster.
Did they have a chance?
He heard Thomas cackling in the distance. If he were here in person, Jason knew he’d be rolling around on the sand, throwing shells or rocks or pieces of his sandwich at him.
The black limo picked up the four SEALs at the airport and shuttled them to a large gated estate overlooking the city of Portland. They carried their Navy-issue duffel bags over their shoulders, walking through a lush garden of blooming roses and rhododendrons. A light mist covered everything. The leaves sparkled with silver in the moonlight.
Riley’s ornate front door opened, and Kiley ran to Jason’s arms. The force with which she hit him nearly toppled them both. He’d planned to be stern with her, to talk some sense into her, but he found himself laughing instead.
Tucker was the first to enter the house, shaking Colin Riley’s shriveled hand as he sat in his specialized wheelchair. Behind him stood Tucker’s friend, Bryce. He made all the other introductions.
Jenna Riley appeared and timidly greeted the men, again thanking them for her rescue.
Riley bent to the side to look for Jason and then motioned for him to come over. With Kiley wrapped around his waist, he stepped into the foyer with all the others, and shook the man’s hand. Although bound in a wheelchair, Colin Riley’s bright blue eyes were those of a serious warrior.
“Thank you, sir,” Jason said.
“Oh, that didn’t turn out because of me. It’s all her. Do you know what a special lady Kiley is?”
“Yes, sir, I think I do.”
“I tried, but I nearly lost her. She pulled the whole thing off. This time, we won without any loss of life for any of the victims. I wish we could do them all that way, but—”
Kiley interrupted, “When the odds are in your favor, you win.”
Colin Riley chuckled. “That’s one way to put it.”
They were served a platter of sandwiches and some soup, which was Riley’s steady diet. The chitchat was light until Jenna excused herself.
“You’ve all got rooms upstairs we’ll show you to. In the morning, after you’ve gotten some good rest, I want to have a serious discussion about what your future could look like,” began Riley.
Tucker squirmed in his seat. Ned and Damon glanced at each other but didn’t reveal any emotion. Finally, Tucker spoke up.
“I think I know what you’re going to say, Mr. Riley. And these guys know I turned you down last year, and I’m glad I did. But I’m going to keep an open mind. And I’m sure these guys will too.” He squirmed again. “I just want you to understand Brandy and I are a team. I don’t do anything unless she okays it. So you’re going to have to be patient with me, with all of us.”
Damon and Ned nodded. Jason also agreed.
Riley flashed them a big smile. “I would expect nothing less. But for you guys, it’s worth the wait. Take as long as you want. Now get some rest, and let’s talk about what is possible, for all of us.”
Colin Riley turned in his chair and zoomed across the marble floor like he was racing to be first.
“I don’t think that guy will sleep a wink tonight,” Tucker whispered.
Bryce nodded. “He’s a very special man. Been good to me and my family. I’d do anything for my girls.” He faced the four Team Guys. “He’s the real deal, like you are. All of you.”
Jason and Kiley were led to a huge suite with a four-poster bed and tall windows overlooking the lights of Portland. Rain was slicing against the glass. Behind them, a fireplace roared. He never thought he’d ever spend the night in such luxury. Ideas buzzed around his brain. It just wasn’t anything he was familiar with, so it was hard to stay grounded.
Until he touched Kiley.
“Sing to me,” she said, running her finger over his lips.
“Now?”
“Yes, now. I want to see it.”
“The thing, with the jumping and faces and all?”
“Yup. That thing. I want to watch you.”
“Okay.” He backed up, opened his eyes wide, stuck his tongue out and jumped high in the air, coming down without a sound. His elbows stuck out to the sides, palms resting on his hips. He began the Maori moves everyone teased him for.
Kiley giggled and fell back on the bed, watching him.
He cut it short to just watch her. How close he’d come to losing her forever. And here she was, waiting for him.
He climbed on the bed, taking her in his arms, feeling the heat of her body releasing to him. It was risky, but Jason decided to tell her the secret he’d learned about her.
“You know what I thought when I met you?”
“That I was crazy.”
“There was a little bit of that, yes. You remind me of the women in my family. They were healers.” He took her hand, brought it up to his mouth, and kissed her palm. “Your hands, they’re healing hands. Did you know that? It’s a form of magic in my culture. Healers are special. They keep the flame of life alive. They sing and dance.”
“That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever told me, Jason. Does that mean that I can heal you?”
“You did already. You healed me that night I took Thomas back to my ancestors. You were scared. But you healed me.”
She was watching his eyes. A tiny smile erupted on her pretty face. “I think you heal all the broken parts of me as well.”
“We’ll have to work on that,” he said as he kissed her. His hand slid up her tummy and over her breast.
“I think I’d like that. The hard part.”
He grinned. “Will you make me a promise, Kiley?”
He saw she was holding her breath, expecting some kind of a soft reprimand. He had no such intention. “Will you come with me, to Hawaii? Will you marry me in the traditional way?”
Her eyes filled with tears. He kissed them away, gently, ending at her lips, while she spoke those beautiful words, “Yes, Jason. I will be your island girl, your forever girl.”
He started to remove her clothes, slow and deliberate like she liked.
“Would you promise me something as well?” She traced the bands of his ancestors, as if she could read the stories he intended to tell her.
“Anything.”
She arched her eyebrows. Raising her head, she whispered in his ear, “Would you teach me how to shoot a gun?”
Did you enjoy Book 4 of the Sunset SEALs? Please leave me a review. It’s the best way you can show your love of a writer’s works.
You might also want to read the Bone Frog Legacy series. This five-book series is all about Brandy and Tucker, how they fell in love, and how they’ve found a future together.
My other series:
SEAL Brotherhood
Band of Bachelors
Bad Boys of SEAL Team 3
All of my books are on audio for your listening pleasure. Go to my website to listen to audio snippets, order audio, print and eBooks, and download the reading order.
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About the Author
Sharon Hamilton
NYT and USA Today best-selling author Sharon Hamilton’s award-winning Navy SEAL Brotherhood series have been a fan favorite from the day the first one was released. They’ve e
arned her the coveted Amazon author ranking of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance categories, as well as in Gothic Romance for her Vampires of Tuscany and Guardian Angels. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love.
Now that he’s out of the Navy, Sharon can share with her readers that her son spent a decade as a Navy SEAL, and he’s the inspiration for her books.
Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany are not like any vamps you’ve read about before, since they don’t go to ground and can walk around in the full light of the sun.
Her Guardian Angels struggle with the human charges they are sent to save, often escaping their vanilla world of Heaven for the brief human one. You won’t find any of these beings in any Sunday school class.
She lives in Sonoma County, California with her husband and her Doberman, Tucker. A lifelong organic gardener, when she’s not writing, she’s getting verra verra dirty in the mud, or wandering Farmers Markets looking for new Heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers. She and her husband plan to cure their wanderlust (or make it worse) by traveling in their Diesel Class A Pusher, Romance Rider. Starting with this book, all her writing will be done on the road.
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Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.
Reviews
PRAISE FOR THE
GOLDEN VAMPIRES OF TUSCANY SERIES
“Well to say the least I was thoroughly surprise. I have read many Vampire books, from Ann Rice to Kym Grosso and few other Authors, so yes I do like Vampires, not the super scary ones from the old days, but the new ones are far more interesting far more human than one can remember. I found Honeymoon Bite a totally engrossing book, I was not able to put it down, page after page I found delight, love, understanding, well that is until the bad bad Vamp started being really bad. But seeing someone love another person so much that they would do anything to protect them, well that had me going, then well there was more and for a while I thought it was the end of a beautiful love story that spanned not only time but, spanned Italy and California. Won’t divulge how it ended, but I did shed a few tears after screaming but Sharon Hamilton did not let me down, she took me on amazing trip that I loved, look forward to reading another Vampire book of hers.”
“An excellent paranormal romance that was exciting, romantic, entertaining and very satisfying to read. It had me anticipating what would happen next many times over, so much so I could not put it down and even finished it up in a day. The vampires in this book were different from your average vampire, but I enjoy different variations and changes to the same old stuff. It made for a more unpredictable read and more adventurous to explore! Vampire lovers, any paranormal readers and even those who love the romance genre will enjoy Honeymoon Bite.”
“This is the first non-Seal book of this author’s I have read and I loved it. There is a cast-like hierarchy in this vampire community with humans at the very bottom and Golden vampires at the top. Lionel is a dark vampire who are servants of the Goldens. Phoebe is a Golden who has not decided if she will remain human or accept the turning to become a vampire. Either way she and Lionel can never be together since it is forbidden.
I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the next installment.”
“A hauntingly romantic read. Old love lost and new love found. Family, heart, intrigue and vampires. Grabbed my attention and couldn’t put down. Would definitely recommend.”
PRAISE FOR THE
SEAL BROTHERHOOD SERIES
“Fans of Navy SEAL romance, I found a new author to feed your addiction. Finely written and loaded delicious with moments, Sharon Hamilton’s storytelling satisfies like a thick bar of chocolate.” —Marliss Melton, bestselling author of the Team Twelve Navy SEALs series
“Sharon Hamilton does an EXCELLENT job of fitting all the characters into a brotherhood of SEALS that may not be real but sure makes you feel that you have entered the circle and security of their world. The stories intertwine with each book before…and each book after and THAT is what makes Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood Series so very interesting. You won’t want to put down ANY of her books and they will keep you reading into the night when you should be sleeping. Start with this book…and you will not want to stop until you’ve read the whole series and then…you will be waiting for Sharon to write the next one.” (5 Star Review)
“Kyle and Christy explode all over the pages in this first book, [Accidental SEAL], in a whole new series of SEALs. If the twist and turns don’t get your heart jumping, then maybe the suspense will. This is a must read for those that are looking for love and adventure with a little sloppy love thrown in for good measure.” (5 Star Review)
PRAISE FOR THE
BAD BOYS OF SEAL TEAM 3 SERIES
“I love reading this series! Once you start these books, you can hardly put them down. The mix of romance and suspense keeps you turning the pages one right after another! Can’t wait until the next book!” (5 Star Review)
“I love all of Sharon’s Seal books, but [SEAL’s Code] may just be her best to date. Danny and Luci’s journey is filled with a wonderful insight into the Native American life. It is a love story that will fill you with warmth and contentment. You will enjoy Danny’s journey to become a SEAL and his reasons for it. Good job Sharon!” (5 Star Review)
PRAISE FOR THE
BAND OF BACHELORS SERIES
“[Lucas] was the first book in the Band of Bachelors series and it was a phenomenal start. I loved how we got to see the other SEALs we all love and we got a look at Lucas and Marcy. They had an instant attraction, and their love was very intense. This book had it all, suspense, steamy romance, humor, everything you want in a riveting, outstanding read. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.” (5 Star Review)
PRAISE FOR THE
TRUE BLUE SEALS SERIES
“Keep the tissues box nearby as you read True Blue SEALs: Zak by Sharon Hamilton. I imagine more than I wish to that the circumstances surrounding Zak and Amy are all too real for returning military personnel and their families. Ms. Hamilton has put us right in the middle of struggles and successes that these two high school sweethearts endure. I have read several of Sharon Hamilton’s military romances but will say this is the most emotionally intense of the ones that I have read. This is a well-written, realistic story with authentic characters that will have you rooting for them and proud of those who serve to keep us safe. This is an author who writes amazing stories that you love and cry with the characters. Fans of Jessica Scott and Marliss Melton will want to add Sharon Hamilton to their list of realistic military romance writers.” (5 Star Revie
w)
“Dear FATHER IN HEAVEN,
If I may respectfully say so sometimes you are a strange God. Though you love all mankind,
It seems you have special predilections too.
You seem to love those men who can stand up alone who face impossible odds, Who challenge every bully and every tyrant ~
Those men who know the heat and loneliness of Calvary. Possibly you cherish men of this stamp because you recognize the mark of your only son in them.
Since this unique group of men known as the SEALs know Calvary and suffering, teach them now the mystery of the resurrection ~ that they are indestructible, that they will live forever because of their deep faith in you.
And when they do come to heaven, may I respectfully warn you, Dear Father, they also know how to celebrate. So please be ready for them when they insert under your pearly gates.
Bless them, their devoted Families and their Country on this glorious occasion.
We ask this through the merits of your Son, Christ Jesus the Lord, Amen.”
By Reverend E.J. McMalhon S.J. LCDR, CHC, USN
Awards Ceremony SEAL Team One
1975 At NAB, Coronado
Escape To Sunset: One Night Stand Romance-Hiding From The Mob (Sunset SEALs Book 4) Page 18