SEAL’s Command by Makenna Jameison

Chapter 6

 

 

The next morning, Ashleigh awoke with a start on the sofa. The fire had gone down, but Slate had piled several blankets and his own warm coat on top of her. Her cheeks heated as she realized she was still only in her bra. He hadn’t bothered to dress her, although that would have even been more embarrassing. Besides, what was he supposed to do? Rummage through her suitcase for a dry pair of panties?

Heat washed over her. That would’ve been mortifying.

Where had he gone though? To his bedroom?

And why had he left her out here by the fire?

To make sure she was warm, she realized. The master bedroom in the back would’ve been far colder. He’d placed her somewhere comfortable and warm. It was sweet and considerate, even if she was mortified the man had stripped her naked last night and held her trembling body against his. Slate hadn’t done anything inappropriate though. He’d held her close and kept her safe, then retreated at some point when she was sleeping.

She shifted, wincing slightly as her ankle throbbed. She’d been so cold last night, she hadn’t paid it much attention. This morning it was swollen and tender, and she muttered under her breath. How was she supposed to drive? It would be painful just to limp down the hallway to her bedroom. Her boots would offer some support, but she really needed an Ace bandage. Why’d she have to fall in that huge puddle of cold water?

Deciding to head to her own room before Slate came out here to find her still nearly naked, she wrapped one of the blankets around herself and limped down the hall. She’d take a few ibuprofen tablets to alleviate the swelling and pain, if she’d remembered to pack any. Ugh. She’d need to dig through her toiletries.

Slate’s bedroom door was shut, and she wondered if he was awake yet. With a frown, she realized it was only five in the morning. She wasn’t sure what had woken her but decided to put on pajamas and climb into her own bed. She wouldn’t mind a couple more hours of sleep.

The scent of food cooking woke her later on, and she sat up in surprise. Was Slate making them breakfast? The delicious scent of bacon was wafting through the air, along with the alluring smell of coffee. Last night he’d claimed he couldn’t cook, but clearly, he was capable of the basics.

She peeked out her window and saw at least half a foot of snow on the ground. The branches on the trees glistened with ice, and she wondered how long it would take for everything to thaw. At least they still had power. Not that she’d gotten any writing done last night after all.

Her cheeks heated at the memory of Slate’s strong, muscular body beneath hers. He was in fantastic shape, with muscles that would be the envy of most men. Ashleigh kept in average shape herself, but her soft curves were no match for his strength and perfect physical attributes. How closely had he looked at her, she wondered with embarrassment? She wasn’t athletic by any means, and he was in peak condition.

Glancing at her phone, she saw a text message from Anna. That meant her cell reception must finally be working again. It made sense given that the storm had blown over, leaving a winter wonderland outside her window.

How was your first night at the cabin? Everything go okay?

Ashleigh rolled her eyes and thumbed a response back.

You didn’t think to mention a Navy SEAL commander would be here when I arrived?

Her phone buzzed immediately.

Sorry not sorry. Jett thought Slate needed someone like you.

Ashleigh sighed. What was that supposed to mean? And what about what she needed? Clearly neither Anna nor her husband had thought this through.

I don’t need to complicate my life like that.

Anna responded right away.

Slate’s a good guy. A little gruff, but nothing like those assholes you’re used to.

Ashleigh groaned. Sure, he might not be the type of man to cheat on his wife, but he was arrogant in his own sort of way. He hadn’t said much about her writing career, but she certainly got the gist that he considered his own career to be of the utmost importance. She had nothing but respect for the men and women who served in the military, but still. That didn’t mean other people were beneath them.

He’d seemed almost amused that she’d intended to spend a weekend holed up in the cabin writing. No it wasn’t adventurous, but it was her life.

She texted her friend again.

He seems a little full of himself.

Ashleigh laughed at Anna’s reply.

Confidence is a good thing—especially in bed! LOL.

Yeah, she realized the man was confident. He’d stripped right in front of her, hadn’t he? Not to mention the fact that he’d stripped her bare as well. Slate was nothing but hard muscle beneath all that masculine flesh. He probably didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. For a man not going on missions himself with a Navy SEAL team, he was ripped.

She didn’t bother replying to Anna again, instead hobbling into the bathroom. She wouldn’t think about his hard body at all. Definitely not as she stripped off her pajamas and showered. Nope. Not for a second.

Ten minutes later, she slowly moved down the hallway to the kitchen in jeans and a sweater. Her damp hair hung past her shoulders, but she figured it would air dry soon enough. It’s not like she planned to go outside anytime soon. A roaring fire blazed, and she paused for a moment, enjoying its warmth. Slate had clearly been up early getting everything situated.

“You’re awake.”

She jumped at the sound of his deep voice but turned, her mouth opening in surprise as his gaze raked over her. Slate had on jeans and another flannel shirt today, and the stubble covering his jaw was sexy as hell. “You look better,” he said, his voice gruff.

“Yeah, except for my ankle. I think I might’ve sprained it last night. Thank you for coming outside to find me.”

He frowned, his gaze tracking down to her bare feet. “You twisted it when you fell?”

She nodded as he crossed the room toward her. “I slipped on the ice and then stepped wrong and landed in the icy mess outside.”

His green eyes met hers. “I didn’t hear you knocking. If it weren’t for that scream when you fell, you might’ve been stuck out there even longer.”

“I was planning to get in my car and start honking if you didn’t answer the door soon.”

His lips quirked. “That would’ve worked. It’s a sheet of ice out there right now. No one will be able to drive anywhere until this afternoon at the earliest.”

“I’m sorry to be in your way.”

“You’re not in my way, Ashleigh.” Her name on his lips was almost like a caress. She liked the sound of it a little too much. The look on his face, however, was unreadable. Was Slate always so stone-faced around his men? They weren’t down at his Navy base for goodness sakes.

She raised her eyebrows. “It didn’t seem like that yesterday. You were ready to send me right out the door.”

He cleared his throat. “That was before I held you in my arms last night.”

“Slate,” she protested, but he held up a hand to stop her.

“I was a perfect gentleman. Don’t worry. After you fell asleep, I carried you over to the sofa. It’s warmer in the living room by the fire than back in the master bedroom, so I thought you’d be more comfortable. I checked on you before I went to bed, and you were still sound asleep.”

“You left me naked on the couch,” she said, flushing.

“Not naked—I covered you with several blankets. I couldn’t exactly put your wet clothes back on you. Did you want me going through your suitcase? Putting a pair of panties on you?”

“No, I guess not,” she said, her cheeks pinkening.

A flicker of amusement briefly sparked in his eyes. “You were safe, and that’s all that mattered. Can I check your ankle?” he asked, his voice gruff. “Jett keeps a first aid kit here. I should be able to find something to wrap it with.”

“Um, yeah. I guess. I took some ibuprofen this morning. I probably shouldn’t be walking around barefoot, but I just took a shower.”

“So you did,” he said, lifting her into his arms as she squeaked in surprise.

“Wh-where are we going?” she asked as he moved down the hallway.

“The first aid kit is in the master bathroom. I’ll put you down on the bed and wrap your ankle. You’ll probably want to wear shoes or boots for extra support. Then we can eat.” He gently set her on her unmade bed and went into the bathroom, immediately coming back out. She watched in shock as he knelt down before her, his large hands gently moving over her ankle. It was weirdly intimate having Slate kneel in front of her in the bedroom. She didn’t feel uncomfortable by his presence though. He might’ve stripped her bare last night, but he hadn’t touched her inappropriately or otherwise made a move. He’d held her, yes, but she’d literally been shaking from the cold.

“I don’t feel any broken bones,” he murmured, his calloused hands on her skin sending licks of warmth through her entire body. She shouldn’t like him touching her or tending to her. She also didn’t expect a man like him to be so gentle. Slate cleared his throat. “Let’s hope it is just a sprain. You probably should try to stay off it today.”

Ashleigh blew out a sigh, and he chuckled. “You’re a writer, so I can’t imagine that’d be too much trouble,” he said, looking amused. “Weren’t you coming here to write?”

“Well, yes, except I was planning on leaving today, remember? We each thought we’d be here alone.”

He stilled, those intense green eyes nailing her with a piercing stare as he looked up at her. “You don’t have to leave, Ashleigh. Stay here this weekend.”

She swallowed nervously. “And…what? Write?”

She couldn’t read the expression on his face, but he nodded once. “You can write while I go hunting and check on things here like I’d planned.” Slate grabbed the bandage from the first aid kit and began carefully wrapping her ankle. He took his time, being gentle with her.

“It won’t bother you,” she hedged.

“It won’t.”

Ashleigh nervously licked her lips. She was attracted to him, she realized. Not just because he was handsome, but because he was taking care of her. It was an unexpected gesture, but she realized she liked having someone worry about her. She’d always been independent, even when she’d been engaged. They’d been a couple, but she’d lived alone and managed her own life. This was…different. It also wasn’t something that would ever last beyond the weekend, but she’d enjoy it for the day. She wasn’t about to fall into bed with the man. Never mind that she was literally sitting in bed right now, she thought with a flush.

“Think you can walk down the hall to breakfast?” he murmured.

Blinking, she realized he was done with her ankle. Slate wasn’t rushing her though. Instead, he seemed content to just be here with her.

“Yeah, I think so,” she said, slowly rotating it.

“Let me grab your boots. They’ll give you more support even if you’re just walking around inside.”

Slate stood and was back a moment later. She felt awkward as he helped her to put them on. She took the hand that he offered, standing up from the bed, and then he let go. She immediately missed the connection between them, the feel of his warm, calloused hand around hers. She’d felt all of him last night, she thought as embarrassment washed over her. He was nothing but hard muscles and solid strength.

“You okay?” he asked, glancing down at her.

“Yeah. Just sort of embarrassed about last night.”

His lips quirked. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly complain about having to strip a woman, but you scared me with how much your entire body was shuddering. I wanted to warm you up as quickly as possible, but I wasn’t trying to embarrass you.”

“I know. And you did help me. I was so cold that my body actually hurt when I was shaking.”

“Come on.”

He slowed his stride to walk with her down the hallway, giving her his arm for support. He was strong and capable, and she felt a bit like a frazzled mess at the moment. She’d come here just to work on her laptop for the weekend, and he’d already rushed to her rescue over something foolish.

“You made breakfast?” she needlessly asked. Of course, he had. The stove had bacon sizzling in one pan and scrambled eggs in the other. The coffee smelled amazing. Thank God Anna had remembered to send some with the other groceries.

“I figured I should return the favor since you cooked last night. I can’t remember the last time I made a woman breakfast.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“What? I’m a simple guy. I live alone and am busy with my career.”

“Except for this weekend of course.”

“I have a ridiculous amount of leave banked. Maybe I’ll come here again this winter. Who knows?” He glanced over at her, those green eyes blazing with intensity. She had to resist the urge to step back. The man had held her practically naked in his arms last night. Was he implying he wanted more? She didn’t do one-night-stands.

He moved across the kitchen again, and she tried to keep her eyes off of him. The fact that he smelled like clean soap and pine didn’t matter. His evergreen plaid flannel set off those green eyes and was snug around his muscled biceps but again—who cared? He was handsome. She could admit that. He’d already said he lived down in San Diego. He was busy with his military career. She lived on the East Coast. And she certainly wasn’t up for a weekend fling.

Slate opened the cupboard and got out two plates. “I’ll go hunting this morning like I’d planned—check out the property as well. Hopefully the ice didn’t do too much damage.”

“What do you hunt? Deer?”

He nodded, plating their food. “I figured I’ll stock the deep freezer for them.”

“It seems weird to have a deep freezer when they don’t even live here regularly. Aren’t they worried the power will go out and the food will spoil?”

“It’s a possibility, but the electricity runs on solar panels. It’s not like regular areas where a storm knocks out the power grid. They like to come and stay for a few weeks at a time. I’m guessing they’ll come out later in the winter.”

“I don’t know. Anna will probably be on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy.”

“I think Jett’s holding out hope they’ll make it at some point,” he said, frowning. “Or like I said, maybe I’ll come back for another weekend.”

Ashleigh found two mugs in the cupboard and poured two cups of coffee. Slate did a double take, seeming surprised she’d pour him a cup of coffee. Why that was unexpected, she wasn’t sure. The man was making her a plate of food for breakfast, wasn’t he? She hadn’t even made the coffee, just poured them each a cup.

He cleared his throat. “So will you be all right while I’m out today?”

The way he looked at her made her stomach do an unexpected little flip. He was just worried because she was injured. That was the type of man he was—protective. It had nothing to do with her specifically.

“Yep, I’ll be fine. I’ll sit on the sofa by the fire to stay warm and write.”

He nodded. “I’ll give you my cell number before I go. I might not have great reception while I’m out hunting, but just in case of an emergency or something. Come sit down.”

She picked up both coffee mugs, but he shook his head. “You’re hurt,” he said gruffly. “I’ll carry them over.”

Ashleigh wanted to argue, but her ankle was throbbing. Hopefully it would feel better by Monday morning. Even if she did stay the entire weekend, she’d have to drive back to the airport to return her rental car and catch her flight. How she’d manage with her suitcase and bags, she wasn’t quite sure. Would she have to stop by an urgent care facility first? She didn’t want to hobble around in a boot, but if she needed one to walk, she might have to. It would be difficult to get through the airport with her suitcase and injured ankle otherwise.

Ashleigh would worry about that later, she decided, as she limped toward the table. She’d eat and relax and write, trying to get her head on straight. She certainly wouldn’t think about the burly man sitting across from her. She could take care of herself. While his company at the moment was fine, she’d intended to spend the weekend quietly working without any distractions, which was exactly what she’d do.