SEAL’s Command by Makenna Jameison

Chapter 3

 

 

Ashleigh watched in surprise as the ruggedly handsome man strode into the cabin. He hadn’t even bothered to shut the front door; he’d simply assumed she’d do as he beckoned. Uncertainly looking around in the darkness, she shivered in the cold air.

She was going to kill Anna.

Sure, her friend was seven months pregnant and on bedrest, but she hadn’t really overlooked the fact that she’d told two different people they could spend the weekend here, had she? Ashleigh had just flown into Seattle this week to visit her family. She was due to head back East in a few days, but her friend had talked her into spending the weekend at their mountain retreat.

It had all sounded perfect—hours alone in the cabin to write, no one to bother her, fresh air and some newly fallen snow. She hadn’t minded the idea of being snowed in. Anna had arranged for a few groceries to be delivered and had assured her there was firewood outside. Plus, the cabin apparently ran on solar power and had a generator. They might be in the woods, but the immediate area around the cabin was clear. She might be a city girl but could certainly handle a few days on her own. It’s not like she was camping out in the wilderness or something. She was at a rustic cabin.

Except Anna’s brother-in-law was here as well. He hadn’t told her a thing about himself, but she got the military vibe from him. And hadn’t Anna just said earlier that Jett’s brother was in the Navy? This guy had shortly cropped hair and the muscular build of a man who had a very physical career. The way he’d carried himself demanded attention. He was a little gruff and probably a decade older than her.

Jett’s personality was vaguely similar, but he was definitely more easygoing. This man was used to people following his command. He was massive, towering above her own small frame. She’d been frightened when he’d suddenly appeared out of the woods, but knowing he was related to Anna assuaged her frayed nerves. Somewhat.

He was still big and muscular and could easily hurt her if he wanted to. Had Jett ever mentioned anything about his brother? She supposed he might’ve, but she hadn’t paid attention. She knew nothing about this man. She had to admit that he was attractive in a rugged sort of way. Those piercing green eyes and big hands—

She shivered again, and it wasn’t from the cold.

His shortly cropped dark hair and green eyes were striking against his chiseled features. He had a strong jaw and broad shoulders, and even wearing a winter coat, she could tell he was nothing but muscles upon muscles.

She quickly turned off her car engine and locked the doors, deciding she had no reason to stand around in the dark by herself. This guy was waiting inside for her, and then she’d—what? Call around for a hotel? Text her best friend and demand some answers?

There were several ski chalets in the area, not that she was a skier herself. Ashleigh was totally an indoor girl, and she was fine with it. Maybe she could get a room somewhere for the night and then head out. Writing alone in a ski lodge filled with groups of friends, families, and happy couples didn’t have quite the same allure that writing alone in the cabin did. She’d seen her family in Seattle, so she could skip the weekend of writing that she had planned and just…fly home.

She crossed the driveway to the cabin through the snow flurries, feeling slightly wistful. This place would’ve been perfect to spend a few days. It was quiet and cozy. They were surrounded by nothing but trees. She could already see the fire that this guy had lit, warm and inviting as she stood out in the freezing cold.

Shaking her head, she stepped into the cabin, flustered. She wouldn’t put it past her friend to have set this up—crazy as that seemed. Anna must have known she’d sent them both here. The macho guy inside didn’t seem like her type at all, but her friend must’ve had some reason to throw them together. She couldn’t be that scatterbrained because of her pregnancy, could she?

Ashleigh closed the front door and stood there, uncertain what to do. This was clearly his cabin—well, his brother’s. He’d gotten here before her. Anna might be her friend, but this guy was family. She’d just have to figure something out for the night. He certainly hadn’t indicated that she was welcome to stay.

The man was just stepping back from the fire, and he turned to look at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

“I’m Ashleigh,” she said, not bothering to hold out her hand. He was all the way across the room and looked a little put off by the entire situation. “Anna and I have been friends since college. She said I could work here over the weekend, but she obviously didn’t mention this. You.”

“Work?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m a writer,” she explained. “I was visiting my family in Seattle and then drove here to spend a few days….” She trailed off. He still hadn’t even told her his name. There was no need to ramble her life story when he clearly wasn’t the talkative sort. He’d barely uttered more than a few words to her.

It wasn’t like she needed to befriend this guy. She’d make a few phone calls and be on her way.

He crossed the room toward her, and she forced herself to stand still, even though she wanted nothing more than to back away from this intimidating man. She wasn’t frightened of him exactly. She didn’t think he’d hurt her, even though he could. Easily.

Still, she had to look up, past his broad shoulders and that chiseled jaw to meet his intense gaze.

“Slate Hutchinson,” he said in a deep voice, holding out a large hand.

She shook it, shocked at the warmth of his touch. “Ashleigh Moore.”

“Hell, you’re freezing,” he muttered, holding her hand just a beat too long. “Come sit by the fire, and we’ll figure this out.”

She nodded uneasily but unzipped her white puffer parka and crossed the living room. It was cozy and already warming up in here—definitely warmer than outside at any rate. She nervously pulled her cell phone from her pocket, hoping she’d get reception. Anna had warned her it could be iffy up in the mountains, but she’d been content to know she could work offline on her laptop. A weekend unplugged was exactly what she needed to avoid any distractions while writing. They were supposed to have cell service though. She’d call around and find a room for the night, but first she needed to text her friend.

You didn’t tell me Jett’s brother would be here!

She stared at her phone, but there was no response. Anna was pregnant and had two kids, so she could very well be busy. Ashleigh had the feeling she wouldn’t respond right away though. Not if she’d been set up.

“There’s no wifi here, just whatever signal you can get from your cell. The storm might hamper that, though, especially if it’s going to be worse than the earlier forecast.”

“Right. Well, I’ll just call one of the ski lodges or something. I’m sure there’s a few around here. Darn,” she muttered, looking at her phone. “My text to Anna failed. I thought it went through.”

Slate frowned, pulling out his own cell phone. “I don’t have any service either. It’s the weather. The snow’s moving in faster than expected.”

“Do you have a landline here?” she asked, looking up at him.

“No.”

A beat passed as he didn’t say anything else. Those penetrating green eyes were boring into her, but she couldn’t begin to guess what he was thinking.

“Oh, uh, okay. Well, you probably know where some of the local ski lodges are, right? If I keep heading up that road, I should find one? I’m sure they’ll have a room. It’s not even peak ski season yet.”

His jaw ticked. “It’s dark, and the storm’s moving in. You can stay here for the night.”

“With you?” she asked doubtfully.

He nodded. “There are two bedrooms, two baths. We won’t be in each other’s way. Anna had some groceries delivered before I arrived, and I’m beginning to see why.”

“She set this up,” Ashleigh said, the reality of the situation washing over her. “She freaking set this up!”

Slate’s lips quirked.

“What?”

“I work with a bunch of Navy guys all day. Swearing like a sailor is an understatement.”

She flushed, realizing why he was amused. “Well, anyway. As soon as I get reception again, I’m calling her. I’d love to say I can’t believe the nerve of her, but this is just the sort of thing she’d pull.”

“She’s done this before?”

“Not this exactly. We were roommates after college though, and she set up an online dating profile for me once—without my knowledge. I started getting emails from all these guys all over the country asking how much I was willing to pay them to get married.”

“Damn,” he said with a low chuckle. “I can see how she ended up with my brother though—he loves a good practical joke.”

“And you don’t?”

Slate shrugged, taking a seat across the room from her. “I don’t have time for jokes. Jett’s much more laid back than me and a civilian at that. He’s former military, as you probably know. I’m busy with my military career though. I follow orders and command my men. If I don’t stay on top of things, people get killed.”

“What exactly do you do? If you don’t mind my asking,” she hastily added.

He nodded, those piercing green eyes meeting hers. “I’m a commander in the Navy.”

“So you…sail boats? Ships,” she hastily corrected.

Slate watched her in amusement. “I’ve got a few SEAL teams under my command down in Coronado. I run operations from there.”

“Holy crap. You’re in charge of a bunch of Navy SEALs?”

His lips quirked again. “I’m a former SEAL. Now I command several teams. They deploy on ops around the world, and I run the missions stateside. I send my men out and make sure they complete their missions and get home safely.”

“So what are you doing here?”

Slate chuckled, the deep sound doing funny things to her insides. “You don’t think men and women in the military ever take a vacation?”

“Oh, well….” She flushed, feeling silly. “I don’t know much about the military, to be honest. Of course, you’d get leave. This isn’t exactly near Coronado though.”

“It’s not,” he agreed. “I flew up here to check on the place. I guess Anna is still on bedrest, and Jett postponed their trip out here to the cabin. Normally he’d go hunting and stock their deep freezer, get things sorted so they could come and stay a few weeks over the winter. Even when he rented out the place, he’d come at the start of the season. She’s not able to travel right now though.”

“Right. The subchorionic hemorrhage.”

Slate frowned. “Is she okay? My brother didn’t say much about it.”

“She is, but I think she’ll be on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy. I guess Jett is busy taking care of the kids since she can’t do much right now.”

“Well damn,” Slate said. “Jett didn’t get into specifics with me. I understand why they didn’t fly out here for a month then. It’s fairly remote and not near any hospitals.”

“It’s not,” Ashleigh said, taking off her coat. Slate’s eyes briefly roamed over her, and she flushed. Her thin cashmere sweater clung to her breasts, and she had leggings on beneath it. She was average-sized but with curves. And she hadn’t given much thought to her clothing, because she was planning to be here alone, not with an attractive, older man. He looked rugged and outdoorsy, ready to go chop some firewood or something. She looked like all she was about ready to do was curl up with a good book by the fire.

The flash of interest in his eyes was so quick, she almost wondered if she’d imagined it. Slate seemed like a man not affected by much. He was stoic and serious. Kind of the opposite of her. She made up stories for a living, getting lost in her characters and imagination. He dealt with facts—intelligence that led him to make decisions for his men. To send them out on risky operations. They really couldn’t have more different careers if they tried.

“I turned up the heat in here, too,” Slate said, clearing his throat. “I don’t mind just having the fire to warm the place, but I figured you’d be more comfortable.”

Something in her chest swelled. He was gruff, yes, but protective, too. She didn’t even know this guy, and he was trying to make her feel more comfortable.

“Yeah, probably so. Thanks. I do tend to get cold easily. So, did Anna have the groceries delivered? She told me she’d arrange for a few things. I didn’t see any bags on the porch though.”

“That she did,” Slate said with a chuckle as he stood up.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, following him down the hall into the kitchen. He’d removed his own coat, and his broad shoulders in that flannel shirt did something funny to her insides. She imagined he’d be intimidating as hell in his Navy uniform. Now he almost seemed like a worldly lumberjack or something. Whatever the hell that was.

“There was a box of condoms in the bag,” he said dryly. “Don’t worry,” he added, noticing she’d stopped in her tracks as he glanced over his shoulder. “I’d never pressure a woman into anything. No doubt that was my brother’s idea. It seems he probably knew about this, too.”

She nodded warily and continued following him down the hall, wondering what he wasn’t saying. He didn’t say he wouldn’t have used them—just that he wouldn’t pressure her. Did he usually sleep with women he’d just met?

Shaking her head, she stopped in the small kitchen. He didn’t seem like the type of man interested in a weekend fling. And besides, that was something she definitely wasn’t going to think about. Sex. With Slate. He was handsome, but sleeping with a stranger she’d never see again? No thanks. She’d only had a handful of boyfriends over the years. She definitely never spent the night with a man she had no intention of seeing again.

Ashleigh looked around the kitchen, surprised by the newer appliances in there. For a rustic cabin, the place seemed pretty nice. There was no TV that she’d seen and apparently no wifi though. That seemed strange, but what did she know? Maybe Anna and Jett liked the place for the simplicity of getting away from it all. Still, she was a bit surprised there was no landline in case of an emergency. They were up alone in the mountains after all.

“I’m not much of a cook,” Slate admitted, “and I planned to go hunting tomorrow, so I wasn’t even going to be here in the cabin much. There’s plenty of food for a few meals though. Certainly enough for the two of us.”

“Well, why don’t you show me what she sent? I love to cook.”

His eyebrows raised, and she laughed. “Seriously. Cooking relaxes me. I was planning to cook dinner here alone anyway during my little writing retreat, so making enough for two is no big deal.”

“So, you’re really a writer?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’m a novelist. I love reading, writing, cooking…. We’re probably total opposites. I’m sure you love jumping out of airplanes or something and racing down the black diamond slopes.”

“Yes and no,” he quipped.

She looked over at him in confusion, seeing amusement dancing in his green eyes. “Yes to the airplanes; no to the skiing. I’m comfortable hunting and on a gun range though.”

“I’ve never done either.”

“You’ve never shot a firearm?”

“No. I never had the interest or the need, for that matter.”

“I never had an interest in cooking, but I learned the basics because I need to eat.”

“So you think I should broaden my horizons or something? No thanks.”

His lips quirked, and she turned away, feeling slightly off kilter. Why did this guy have her twisted up in knots? She didn’t know him and wouldn’t even have to see him again after tomorrow. So what if he was outdoorsy and athletic and skilled around guns and knives and whatever the heck else. She was here to relax and write, not rough it for a few days. She didn’t need to keep up with him.

“The food is in the fridge,” he said. “I’ll grab your bag from your car if you’re staying for the night.”

“Oh. Thanks. It’s in the trunk. The keys are in my jacket pocket.”

He nodded, watching her for a beat as she stood in front of the refrigerator. Something about Slate watching her was unnerving. He seemed almost…amused by her. Like he was in charge of big, important things in the military, and her interests in writing and cooking were just that—interests. Silly, feminine hobbies or something.

She’d made a writing career for herself though and was both traditionally and independently published. She had a Master’s degree in English. She’d previously written for a large newspaper, then switched her focus to novels. To let him make her feel inadequate was silly.

Plus, while he had to be at least ten years older than her judging from the creases in the corners of his eyes, she wasn’t exactly young at thirty-one. While she didn’t have a conventional career like his military one, she was happy and successful.

Ashleigh opened the fridge, deciding not to ask Slate what he was thinking. He finally turned and walked away, but she had to look up to be sure, because he moved so quietly down the hall. She heard the front door open and felt a brief chill as the cold air rushed in. She looked out the window above the kitchen sink but couldn’t see anything in the darkness. Would he notice her there watching him?

She wasn’t exactly watching him though since she couldn’t see a thing.

Turning back to the refrigerator, she pulled out the ground beef and cheese. She’d noticed a box of pasta on the counter, so she’d whip up a casserole. It wasn’t exactly gourmet with the limited food and spices she had to work with, but it would do.

She wondered what he’d planned to eat here alone.

Deciding not to worry about it, she began opening cupboards in the kitchen, looking for a frying pan to brown the beef. Before long, the food was sizzling on the stove. Slate had come back inside but was either back in his bedroom or still in the living room. He hadn’t come back into the kitchen, and she decided that was for the best. They didn’t need to make small talk or share their life stories. They’d eat, retreat to their own rooms, and then that would be that.

Tomorrow she’d be on her way.