SEALed with a Kiss. Jill Monroe

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      And that was the reason he’d avoided her even though he wanted her like crazy. Every time a woman attempted to delve beneath the surface, what he allowed her to see, she was always disappointed.

      Because there wasn’t much. That old adage of what you see is what you get could have been dedicated to him. He liked it that way. Eliminated any complications. Apart from that twinge in the gut he felt when he clued in to a woman’s disappointment when she realized she wasn’t getting much more.

      That’s why there was something comforting about dating the superficial and shallow. Quick smiles and good times. Riley didn’t need a person scrutinizing him. Making him feel exposed.

      SEALs respected another man’s boundaries. As long as a man did his job on his Team, no one bothered him. Certainly none of his friends gave a shit about his feelings.

      That was the thing about soldiers … they liked their armor.

      But Rachel was the kind of woman who’d want to learn things about him. Understand him. Hell, he didn’t even want to know himself. Look at him—less than an hour with her and he was already thinking deeply.

       Must be lack of food.

      With a more forceful kiss to her lips he then jumped out of bed in search of his shirt. He found it crumpled on the floor, and smiled at the memory of Rachel Sutherland ripping it off his body. Rachel. Yeah, even sporting the small scratches on his back, he still found it hard to believe she was the person who gave him a great welcome home. Before his deployment, the woman had barely noticed him.

      Naked, he walked to the dresser and pulled out some clothes. Forget his uniform, he only wanted to wear shorts and a T-shirt anyway. After buttoning up his shorts he turned to find Rachel leaning against the headboard, the sheet pulled tight over her breasts.

      Even that was sexy.

      Her long blond hair was a mess, and he was tempted by the overwhelming urge to sink his fingers into the softness and send his T-shirt to the floor to join his uniform.

      Then his stomach growled. Food first. He’d need it for tonight. His night with Rachel. Riley glanced back her way, wanting to catch her tugging her shirt into place or sliding her skirt up her legs. There was something very sexy about watching a woman dress, knowing he’d be doing the undressing later.

      Rachel still rested against the pillows. If anything, that sheet was tighter across her body. Had she gone shy on him? Women were known to do that. Some mixed up signals they’d gotten along the way about men thinking they were only good for bedroom acrobatics. He’d have to remember to mention she was smart later.

      “You planning on going to the grocery store in just the sheet? Not that I’d mind, but the other customers might be a little shocked.”

      She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Actually, I was thinking I would head back to The Sutherland. I’ve probably given Nate and Hailey enough time alone.”

      Riley made a scoffing noise. “I don’t think a month would be enough time for those two. I was thinking we’d at least give them the weekend.”

      “Oh,” she said, and the sheet slackened.

      Not enough.

      Then she smiled at him. A slow warm smile just for him. For a moment, he had trouble breathing.

      A genuine smile from this woman was rare. Riley knew … he’d watched her long enough during the SEAL date nights. He’d sneak a peek, fascinated, as she outlined expectations of the men’s behavior. Rachel didn’t take any guff from the sailors clomping through the Tea Room. She didn’t care they were SEALs, they were going to follow her rules. And they’d respected those rules of hers to the letter.

      But he’d also caught the easy grin she’d give a man down on his luck, and then steer him toward a beer, a meal in the dining room or a particular woman taking advantage of The Sutherland’s SEAL night. But she’d never turned that smile toward him.

      Until now.

      He wanted more. More of her smiles, more of her sexy body and definitely more time with Rachel. But first, food.

      RILEY HAD ALWAYS STRUCK HER as a man who never took anything seriously, except his job. She’d observed him in the ocean where the SEALs often trained. There, he was all about the mission, yet when it came to life … he was all about the work hard, play harder mantra.

      Riley obviously didn’t take food seriously. He was a disaster in the grocery store. They flew by the fresh fruits and vegetables without picking up one. Rachel cringed as he grabbed the first package of meat he saw, but the last straw was when he asked her preference of steak sauce. She should probably have given him credit for asking her first choice, but it was steak sauce they were talking about. And standards.

      “You are not destroying anything I make by drowning it in steak sauce,” she told him, refusing to take another step down the aisle displaying row after row of colorful condiments.

      “I like steak sauce,” he replied, reaching for a bottle.

      She put her hand on her hip. “Okay, let me ask you a question. What if I marinated those steaks in a dark beer, rubbed them with oregano and cumin, then grilled them with fresh chives and served guacamole and aji sauce on the side?”

      His hand fell away from the shelf of sauces. “I’d say count me in.”

      “So you’re ready to shop my way?” she asked.

      Riley took the two steps that had him at her side. He stroked the side of her cheek. And yes, there were the clichéd shivers down her back. What was with this man and her senses? “I just wanted to get the food and then get you alone again.”

      More shivers. This man could have her thinking drive-through burgers were a good idea. Almost.

      Then she did something she never thought she’d do on her own. She slipped her hand through Riley’s. His long fingers, warm and calloused and strong, laced with hers, gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

      Bad move. A woman didn’t initiate hand-holding with a man who didn’t take things seriously. It screwed up the balance. This would definitely be the last time she’d do something as stupid as that.

      An hour later, she and Riley sat together on his patio, plates on their legs as they enjoyed the warm evening breeze.

      “That was the best food I’ve ever had. Really,” Riley said. “You must like to cook.”

      “Actually, I hate cooking. What I like is eating. Eating good food, that is. When you grow up and your mom is a culinary chef, it’s hard to look at food as casual. Each meal must be something special.”

      Riley reached over and took the empty plate from her lap. His fingers grazed her bare thighs. “I’ll have to remember that.” His voice a sexy whisper at her ear. Shivers ran down her neck.

      She spotted the bulge in his pants. Apparently Riley was ready for round two. She, for one, couldn’t wait.

      He’d said the word remember. It made her go all fluttery. Not good. Riley didn’t mean remember as in them having more than just СКАЧАТЬ