Hot SEAL, Labor Day by Cynthia D’Alba

Chapter 10

Sawyer was awake before the sun broke the horizon. Typically, he could sleep anywhere, and he didn’t need much sleep to function. But last night, when he’d returned from ordering Italian for dinner, Ana’s mood had been lighter than it had been all day.

She’d handed him his phone with a polite, “Thank you,” and that was it. No mention of the call, or even who she’d called. But whatever had happened during his absence had put her in a good mood.

He rolled over in bed and let the memories from last night roll through his head. Dinner, wine, and then she’d invited him inside to, “Get away from the mosquitoes.” Now, he hadn’t seen a mosquito their entire stay, but he’d followed her inside to her living room. There, the hottest make-out session he’d had since high school took place on her sofa. At one point, he’d been on top of her, his cock so hard it hurt, and it had taken every ounce of willpower not to strip her bare right there and take her. God knew he wanted her…bad. He ached to know what it would feel like as he thrust deep inside her. He’d kill to know what she sounded like when she came. And if he didn’t get to taste the sweetness of her arousal, he might go insane.

His cock stiffened at the memories. No woman had ever driven him to this point of desperation before.

His hand wrapped around his cock and stroked. Blood rushed down, making his dick as hard as a rock. He moved his hand faster, sliding it from base to tip in a frenzy to relieve the ache. With Ana on his mind, the memory of the taste of her lips prominent in his thoughts, it didn’t take but a few strokes before he felt the tug at the base of his spine. His balls drew up, ready to spill him into his sheets.

He came with a groan, the ache for Ana lessened but far from being placated. Only the real woman would do.

Checking the time on his phone, he saw it was early, plenty of time to get in his run before he and Ana were scheduled to pick up the pontoon boat he’d reserved for today. Mandy was also holding fishing gear for both of them. All that was missing was a swim suit for Ana. She wanted to swim, so he’d promised to make a stop on the way to the marina so she could buy one. He held out hope for a very tiny bikini. Of course, Ana in a barely-there bikini might be the best thing that’d ever happened to him, or might be the thing that would drive him over the edge. Only time would tell.

He did his morning run, fully aware that he cut a couple of miles off. He was impatient to get back to the cabin and see if Ana was awake.

To his pleasure, she was sitting in her usual place on her porch, Ranger laying at her feet and looking at her with adoring eyes. It might have been Ana herself who had the dog in a thrall, or it might have been the bagel in her hand. Either way, Ranger was not moving.

“Good morning,” he said, leaning on her railing.

She smiled, and he felt his heart shift.

“Good morning. I see you got your run done already.”

“Yep. Were you planning on going with me today?” He’d invited her every day, and every day, she’d demurred.

“I was,” she said brightly. She snapped her fingers. “Too bad I missed it.” Then her cheeky grin gave her away.

“Right,” he said with a laugh. “Tomorrow’s another day.”

“That’s right. And you know what tomorrow is!”

He frowned and pretended to think. “Um, Thursday?” When she shot him a glare, he laughed. “Your birthday. I couldn’t forget that. Leaving the neurotic twenties behind and officially moving into the self-confident thirties.”

“Self-confident thirties. I like how that sounds. What time are we leaving? Don’t forget I need to pick up a swimsuit on the way.”

“I haven’t forgotten. I’ll jump in the shower and be right back.” He stepped back and stopped. “And don’t feed Ranger anything. He’s fat and spoiled and doesn’t need a thing.”

She gasped and leaned over to run her hand alone Ranger’s head. “Don’t listen to the mean, mean man. In fact, go bite him.”

Ranger’s tongue lolled out of his mouth, and he licked Ana’s hand as though to say, “I love you, Ana. Can I have a bite of bagel?”

Sawyer rolled his eyes and hurried to his cabin, albeit with a huge grin.

They opted to take Barbie to the marina, mostly because Sawyer wanted to make sure the alignment was good and the ride smooth. On the way, he dropped Ana at a beach boutique while he ran to pick up the snacks and drinks for the day on the lake. He would have loved to have gone shopping with Ana, but she wanted to surprise him, or that’s what she’d said.

He finished with his shopping before she did, so he parked the Malibu in front of the store to wait. He was content waiting for her. In so many ways, he felt like he’d waited for her his whole life. He scrolled through emails and texts that’d accrued over the past couple of days. Nothing urgent. His parents were enjoying Belgium and wished he could have gone with them. He wished his parents were here to meet Ana. Of course, it was only their cancellation of their trip to Lake Kincade that had opened up the cabin for Ana.

Fate sure was playing matchmaker, not that he was complaining. However, the rate at which he’d fallen for Ana was disquieting. He was pretty sure it had happened the minute she’d wrapped her arms around his legs on the roller coaster, putting all her trust into him. Or maybe he’d fallen during the miniature golf game. Or the race cars. He’d loved her excitement.

Oh, who was he kidding? He’d fallen like Humpty Dumpty off his wall the minute he’d laid eyes on Ana with Ranger on Saturday morning. Splat, and it was all over for him.

But last night’s long talk and make-out session had sealed the deal for him. He wanted this woman. He knew she was out of his league. More educated. Probably smarter. Definitely better looking and sexier than any woman he’d ever known. Crazy, but back when he’d seen her play in Germany and they’d just been kids, it’d been like seeing his future. The truth was, he’d long given up trying to find that girl from his childhood. Heck, he’d thought her name had been Anna. But now fate had given him a second chance to grab the brass ring. He only had to make a dangerous lean from his comfort zone to reach for it without crashing and burning.

The passenger door opened. “I’m here,” Ana said, slipping into the car. She tossed a shopping bag into the back seat.

“Did you find a suit?”

“I did.”

He frowned. “Where is it? Are you going to change on the boat?” Not that he would mind at all.

She laughed. “I’m wearing it.”

He studied the shorts and the Lake Kincade T-Shirt she wore, which was not what she’d had on when she’d entered the store. “You’re planning on swimming in a T-shirt and shorts?

She laughed again. “No, silly. It’s on under my clothes.” She hitched a thumb toward the back. “My clothes are in the bag. I wore my new things out.” She pointed to her temple. “Smart, right?”

“Definitely. I was just thinking that you were probably smarter than I am.”

With a scoff and an eyeroll, she said, “Doubt it. I have more education in music, but that’s about it. I bet you know how to pick locks or build a bomb or something. I could never do anything like that.”

He started the car and glanced over at her. “I have so many skills I can teach you.” And he didn’t mean bombs and guns.

She arched a brow. “Oh, really? This day just got a whole lot more interesting.” Then she giggled. “Let’s go. I bet besides bombs and guns, you know something about boats.”

“A thing or two.”

At Medlin Marine, good news and bad news awaited them.

“Sorry, man,” the manager said. “My son double-booked the sixteen-foot pontoon boats, and the twenty-foot boats.” He shook his head. “Knucklehead. There’s probably a girl in a bikini that explains it. So that’s the bad news for us. The good news for you is that I have a twenty-six-foot unit that I’ll rent you for the same price as the sixteen-foot you reserved.”

Sawyer grinned. “You know bikinis make us guys do crazy things.”

The manager laughed. “Oh, yes. I remember my younger days. So that works for you? You can handle the bigger boat?”

“No problem. Been boating forever.” Sawyer handed the man a credit card. While he rang the charge, Sawyer filled out the required paperwork and handed over his driver’s license and military identification.

After the manager made copies of Sawyer’s identification and returned them, he set a key on a spiral stretch keychain on the counter. “Boat is in slot twelve. If my son hasn’t fallen in the lake, he’ll help you get it untied and out of the slip.”

Twenty minutes after they’d parked Barbie, Sawyer and Ana were on a new pontoon boat and backing it out into the lake. As soon as they cleared the dock and were headed into open waters, Sawyer pulled his shirt off and tossed it to Ana.

“Stash that somewhere so I won’t lose it.” When she didn’t say anything, he looked at her. She was studying him like he was a lab experience. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Wow,” she said. “I, um, well, wow.”

As her gaze ran up and down his chest, his skin heated like she was shooting lasers. Nothing like a gorgeous woman drooling over his chest to make him want to puff it out.

“You like what you see?”

“I understand why Mandy asked you to wear a shirt while running to avoid causing traffic jams and accidents.”

He laughed. “She was kidding.”

Ana slowly shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She leaned over until her finger tips touched his tattoo. “I like this. It’s very sexy.”

“It’s the Navy SEAL insignia.”

Her fingers traced the tattoo, which felt like it was on fire from her simple touch. “I saw the bottom of the anchor once. I couldn’t figure out the gun until today. Did it hurt?”

“Not too much.”

“Your only tattoo?”

He shook his head and turned to show her the frog outline with a trident tattoo on his right chest pec. “That’s all for now. I’ve been thinking of getting one on my back.”

“What would you put there?” she asked as she continued to stroke his arm.

“Not sure yet. How many tattoos do you have?”

She burst out laughing. “Can you imagine what my mother or Randall would say if I got a tattoo?”

He shook his head. “Actually, I can’t. I don’t know either of them.”

“Well, my mother would immediately start calling all the dermatologists in Chicago to book the best one known for tattoo removal. Randall would faint.”

“You know, honey, they can’t control your life if you don’t let them.”

A frown wrinkled her brow as she scooted back onto her seat. “Let’s ride around for a while. I want to look at all the fancy houses.”

Well, she’d shut down that conversation. He wasn’t sure what thought went through her head just then, but whatever it was, it hadn’t been a pleasant one.

“But first…” Ana said.

Sawyer looked over in time to watch her pull the Lake Kincade T-shirt over her head and store it with his. He gulped. Holy shit. The tiny jade-green bikini top barely covered her breasts. In fact, the material seemed to be perched over her nipples and that was about it.

When she stood and tucked her thumbs into the waistband of her shorts to pull those down, he thought his heart might stop. Nope. Not stopped. Instead, it galloped around his chest and pounded painfully against his ribs. Dear lord. She was stunning. Mouth-gaping, drool-producing, stunningly gorgeous.

Her breasts were round and perfect. Her figure cut in at her waist and flared out again at her hips. He’d known she had great legs, but he’d only seen them from about the knees down. Now, fully exposed to his gaze, he could see her thighs were as shapely as her calves. His cock stiffened and strained against the material confining it.

“Um, the boat?” she said. “You might want to look where you’re driving?”

“What? Oh!” He glanced forward, saw nothing but open water, then turned back to her. “Good God, Ana.” He ran his gaze from her toes to her eyes—which were sparkling—back down to her hips. “That suit is…”

“Nice? Pretty?” she suggested.

“Giving me a heart attack,” he said. “Whew. Woman. Get over here and kiss me.”

He stopped the boat in the middle of the wide main channel as she stepped over to where he sat in the captain’s chair. He ran his hands along her hips and traced the very thin cord that connected the front and back of the sunshine yellow triangle of material barely covering her sex. His fingers slipped under the material in the back and stroked the soft globes of her ass.

She smiled and ran her hands up his chest to encircle his neck.

He rotated the chair and pulled her until she sat straddling his aching cock. She pressed her crotch against his rock-hard, and painful dick.

“Damn, woman,” he said. “You are so fucking sexy.”

He fisted one hand into her hair and jerked her toward him. The kiss was hungry and desperate. He thrust his tongue inside her hot mouth like he wanted to thrust his cock into her hot pussy. Her tongue met his, more forceful than the first time she’d tasted him.

Her fingers loosened the band holding back his hair and threaded through his strands. Like he’d done to her hair, her hands fisted and she pulled his hair with a groan and a grind of her pussy against his cock. The hand inside her suit bottom found the crack between her ass cheeks and he slid a finger downward.

“Oh, God,” she said against his lips.

A passing boat tooted its horn as a group of college-aged couples passed. “Find a cove,” one of them yelled. The group laughed, while the guys all held thumbs up.

“Wow. I might have just lost my mind,” she said and stood.

Her face was flushed. Her hair was a tangled, knotted mess. Her eyes were heavy with lust.

“I haven’t lost mine,” he said. “I want you, Ana. I want you in every way possible. I want to make love to you. I want to taste you, mark you with my teeth. Spend an entire night doing nothing but touching you.”

She gasped in a breath.

“But,” he continued, “I don’t think you’re ready for that.” He sighed and tossed his hair over his shoulders. “Let’s go for that ride before I explode with lust. Sit.”

He faced forward and gave the motor gas. The boat shot forward, and he heard Ana drop onto the seat across from him.

For the next ten minutes or so, he drove, his cock getting the message that nothing was happening. He purposely took them to an area of multi-million-dollar estates in an attempt to take both of their minds off a kiss that had almost had him coming in his shorts, something he hadn’t done in twenty years.

“Look at that one,” he said, pointing to a Spanish-style mansion on a hill. “You like that one?”

He chanced a glance in her direction.

She smiled and stood. Walking behind him, she draped her arms around his neck and let them dangle in front of his chest. “Thank you,” she said into his ear. “No one has ever made me feel like you do. I’m sorry I got embarrassed. I’m not used to men wanting me.”

“No, babe. Trust me. Every man who sees you wants you. I’m just the lucky fool who was in the right place at the right time to get your attention.” He pulled her left hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. When she started to remove her arms, he said, “No, stay. I like having you close.”

“Perfect. I like being close.”

At twenty-thousand acres, Lake Kincade had miles of shoreline to explore and hundreds of mansions and estates to see from the water. What he discovered was her wicked sense of humor as she critiqued the estates. She knew not only music, but apparently had an excellent working knowledge of architecture. She could point out the mistakes or problems she could see with the structures themselves or sometimes the gardens. Her funniest caustic remarks were saved for the over-the-top pools with their waterfalls and cascades. He was thoroughly entertained. If she hadn’t captured his heart before today, she would have now.

At close to noon, he pulled into a secluded cove and dropped anchor. “I’m starved. Are you ready for lunch? Please say yes.”

She chuckled. “I would love to eat something. I didn’t have much breakfast.”

He chuffed. “You should’ve said something sooner.”

She patted her flat belly. “You’ve kept me fed like a turkey being fattened for Thanksgiving.”

With a scoff, he said, “Seriously? You have no belly.”

She turned sideways. “See?”

“No. What I see is a healthy, beautiful woman I’ve become crazy about.”

She grinned. “Don’t start that. You know I’ll end up in your lap again and look what happened last time.”

With a long, exasperated sigh, he nodded. “It’s getting warm. Want to swim after lunch?”

“Yes.” Her voice was enthusiastic.

He raised an eyebrow. “I worry that suit will dissolve in the water. There’s already so little of it.”

She giggled as she turned her back to him and leaned over to dig through the ice chest of drinks. The back of her bottoms rode up into her crack, leaving both ass cheeks exposed. His gaze ate up the vision in front of him. Damnation.

“You’re playing with fire, honey. You know that?”

Still leaning from her waist, she glanced back at him. “Hmm?” Then she grinned. “You’ve already felt them,” she said with a shrug. “Thought you’d like to see them.”

He gave out a strangled chuckle. “You’re killing me.”

“But what a nice way to die…?” she asked. Then her eyes shut, and she shook her head. “I don’t know what has gotten into me. I never talk like that.”

He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her back to his chest. “I like it, you sexy girl.”

“Today, I shall be a woman.”

He laughed, kissed her ear, and reached around her for a Mountain Dew.

They ate deli sandwiches with soft drinks. All the while, he tried to ignore the powerful pull he felt toward this woman.

After lunch, Ana said, “Show me how SEALs go into the water.”

Since he was already wearing his swimming trucks, he climbed onto the boat’s railing. “Like this.” He flopped backwards into the deep water.

She laughed and clapped. “Now, show me how you’d jump from a plane.”

He shook his wet hair back and climbed the ladder back onto the boat. “From a plane? With or without a parachute?” When she gasped, he added, “I’m kidding, mostly. But I have jumped from a helicopter into the ocean. It looks like this.” He climbed on the backseat, stood straight, pretended he was adjusting his mask, stepped up on the rail, and jumped feet first into the water.

Ana clapped and whistled.

“Now,” he said from the water. “Show me how a pianist gets into the water.”

With a nod, she climbed on the rear seat and executed a perfect shallow, standing dive off the back. She surfaced close to him. “How’d I do?”

“Impressive.”

“I took swimming lessons as a kid. My mom was a terrible swimmer, and she wanted to make sure I wasn’t.”

“Too bad about your mom. Let me grab those float noodles off the boat.” He climbed onboard and grabbed the two yellow float noodles. He tossed both of them to her and dove in. He swam up to her legs and wrapped his arms around her thighs.

She shrieked and kicked out. She was laughing when he surfaced. She bopped him over the head with one of the noodles.

He looped the noodle under his arms and floated. She mimicked his position.

“You ever been in love, Sawyer?”

The question caught him off-guard. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say. “I thought I was a couple of times, but not in a long time. You?”

She ignored his question. “Were you in love as an adult? Or are you talking about a ‘music camp Joey’?”

“Good question. More music camp Joey. I think I was eighteen or nineteen the last time I thought I was in love.” Until today.

“What happened?”

“Nothing happened. Summer romance. She went away to college, I was in the Navy, so time and distance...”

“What is it with girls leaving you for college? First Julie Baker and now this person.”

He laughed. “Julie Baker. I can’t believe you remembered her name?”

Her legs floated up from under her until her toes breached the water. “What was the other girl’s name?”

“Connie Covington.” He grinned. “I haven’t thought of Connie in years.”

“Was she pretty?”

“Yep. Long, blond hair that hit mid-back. Blue eyes. Rock’n body. Why?”

“She sounds beautiful.”

He floated closer. “Not at beautiful as you, Ana. She couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

Her head dipped along with her gaze. “You don’t have to say that.”

He put two fingers under her chin and lifted until their gazes met. “You’re right. I don’t have to say it, but it’s true. Has no one ever told you how beautiful you are? Can’t you see your beauty in the mirror? Hell, Ana. The first time I laid eyes on you, I almost tripped over my own feet.”

She gave him a shy smile. “When you were changing my tire?”

With a chuckle, he said, “Hon, you barely rolled the window down. All I saw were a pair of frantic eyes.”

“I wasn’t frantic,” she said with a sniff.

“Scared?”

She grinned. “Maybe. I was in the middle of nowhere, driving a car I knew nothing about, and my rescuer looked like a badass on a motorcycle.”

He laughed. “I loved that you tried to give me twenty bucks.”

She dropped her head back into the water. “I was taught to pay people who help you.”

He pulled her to him and kissed her thoroughly. “There. I’m paid in full.”

“Well, gosh, you should’ve told me that last Friday.”

He chuckled. “Oh, my lord. Can you imagine what you would’ve said?” Then he laughed loudly.

She joined him laughing.

“Hey,” she said. “Another question. Have you ever skinny-dipped?”

He nodded. “Sure. Lots of times growing up, and probably more as a SEAL. Have you?”

She shook her head.

He waggled his eyebrows. “Want to?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Yeah, but…”

“Ah. Gotcha.” He swam over to the ladder and climbed on the boat. “Have at it.”

“You won’t look?”

“Of course, I’m going to look. What if you drown? I’d feel horrible.”

She laughed, and then sobered. “Okay. Here goes.” She sunk below the swim noodle and came up behind it. She went under again and came up with her top in her hands. She hooked her arms over the noodle, leaving her body below the water.

He arched a brow. “How does that feel?”

“Freeing.” Her smile was as bright as was the light in her eyes.

He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. “C’mon. Let’s have those bottoms.”

She giggled and blushed. Then, in a rush of activity, she jerked them off and tossed both pieces up on the boat deck. She pushed away a little farther from the boat, which did nothing to cover what he could see through the crystal-clear water. Her carpet definitely matched the drapes.

“So? How does it feel?’

“Odd. I thought I’d feel like I was in a big bath, but it’s nothing like that at all. It’s hard to describe. The waves sort of tickle.”

He grinned. “Oh yeah? Where?”

Her cheeks flamed. “Ha.”

He’d turned his back when she said, “My mother is pressuring me to marry my manager’s son.”

His heart stopped as did the forward step he began to take. He lowered his foot back to the deck. “Oh. Are you going to?” He didn’t turn around. He thought maybe she’d tell him more if she wasn’t looking into his devastated expression.

He heard her sigh. “I don’t want to. Geoffrey has been talking about marriage for a while. He asked me to marry him a couple of weeks ago.”

“And you said…?” he asked, his voice rasping a bit.

“I said no, of course, but that didn’t stop him from getting his father and my mother in on the persuasion.” She sighed again. “When you saw me yesterday coming out of the office, I’d been checking my emails. Lots of rage from Randall from having to cancel this week’s performances, but there was also an email from Geoffrey, telling me that my mother was thrilled about us marrying, and she’d even reserved a venue for the wedding.”

“I don’t see the problem. Just tell him no. Tell your mom the same thing.”

“You don’t understand.”

He turned to face her. “Then explain it in a way I can understand.”

She floated a little closer to the boat. “My mother doesn’t take no for an answer, even from my father. When I called home last night using your phone, I discovered she was out shopping for a wedding dress for me. I can almost guarantee she’ll have the dress, location, date, and invitations ready to be mailed within the next ten days.” She sighed. “I’ll tell her no, but she won’t listen. Geoffrey is poised to take over as my manager when Randall retires. Randall is almost sixty-five, so that could be any time.”

He sat in the open door of the railing and rested his feet on the ladder. “How old is Geoffrey?”

“Ten years older than me, so, fortyish.”

“Are you in love with him?”

“Oh, no. I mean, I’ve known him all my life. We’re friends, but nothing else.”

“So, he’s not someone you’ve slept with?” He raised his hand to stop her from answering. “I only ask because maybe he’s harboring feelings for you and thinks you are likewise.”

“First, eww, gross,” she said, grimacing. “I’ve never even kissed him, other than on the cheek at Christmas or New Year’s Eve. And second, I’m pretty sure he’s either bisexual or gay. As far as I know, he’s never had a steady girl—or boy—friend.”

“Ah. You’re thinking he wants you as his beard.”

She nodded. “And I think he’d love to tap my money.”

He frowned. “Hello? You’re gorgeous as fuck. Maybe that’s why he wants you.”

“I love that you think I’m attractive, but I honestly don’t think he sees me the same way.”

“And his dad is all in favor of this marriage?”

“Oh, yeah. Randall can retire and know he’s leaving me in his son’s hands.”

“What about Geoffrey’s mother? What does she say?”

Her face softened. “His mom died when Geoffrey was less than a year old. It’s always been his father and him.”

“There’s so much wrong with this picture. I can see why you ran away.”

“Yeah, the concerto, the pressure from Geoffrey…, it was all too much.” She gave a sad chuckle. “The only way I can convince everyone that I’ll never marry Geoffrey is to marry someone else and use my husband as the excuse, since, you know, the law frowns on more than one spouse.”

“Okay. Let’s get married,” Sawyer blurted.