The Navy Seal's Bride. Сорейя Лейн

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СКАЧАТЬ woman didn’t look at all as if she’d picked up on his leave me alone signs, either.

      “Well then, I guess you’re allowed to check out the teacher.”

      Heat hit Tom’s cheeks before he could fight it. Jeez, had he been that obvious?

      “You must be mistaken,” he said, voice cool. “I was watching my niece. She asked me to stay within sight.”

      The mom looked confused, but Tom didn’t change the expression on his face. He’d been trained not to betray a hint of weakness, and here he was mooning over a pretty girl as though he’d never seen an attractive member of the opposite sex before. Sure, she was beautiful, but he wasn’t in the market for a relationship, and he didn’t want to be called out like that again. The last thing he needed was to hurt the feelings of a fragile paper ballerina who doubled as his niece’s teacher.

      “Nice to meet you,” Tom said, turning his back and putting an end to the conversation.

      He crossed the room and sank onto a chair, but he still couldn’t look away. Because even from there, he could see through the door to the happiness and laughter in the studio. Gabby danced around as if she couldn’t think of anywhere better to be in the world, and the mesmerizing Miss Rose twirled about amongst the girls as if she was loving every minute of it.

      And she probably was. Darkness clawed its way into his chest and threatened to sink its teeth into him, but he steeled his jaw and fought it, pushed the haunting clouds of memory away.

      Just because he was troubled didn’t mean everyone else around him had to be miserable. He’d gone through hell, but he’d emerged alive, and he wasn’t going to let anything drag him down.

      Or at least he wasn’t going to be pulled any further into the web of emptiness than he’d already allowed himself to be.

      Tom was struggling not to zone out. He’d never tried so hard in his life to focus, had never paid anyone so much attention in his life, but still … Gabby was talking a million miles an hour and it was hard to keep up.

      “So, did you see me? Did you see how fast I can twirl? Were you watching when …”

      He didn’t hear another word. Lost the fight to stay tuned in to what she was saying.

      Because a slender frame, braced against the cool autumn wind with only a flimsy coat around her, appeared in his rearview mirror. Ankles bare and peeking out from skintight black leggings, but with her hair out and wrapping around her face; a contrast to the tight bun she’d had it pulled back in before.

      “Tommy?” Gabby had just figured out he wasn’t listening. He had no idea what she’d been saying. All he could focus on was the slim figure retreating from view.

      And he didn’t like it. Didn’t like it one little bit.

      “I’m sorry, honey, hold that thought.” He gave her a quick smile, not sure whether he was trying to reassure her or himself. “Buckle up, there’s something I need to do.”

      Tom thrust the key into the ignition, waited until he heard Gabby’s belt click, then checked in his mirrors before doing a U-turn. Caitlin hadn’t gotten far, had just turned the corner into the next block.

      He ran his tongue over his teeth. His mouth was dry. And he couldn’t figure out what the hell he was going to say when he pulled over. Didn’t want to appear to be a sleaze-hanging-out-the-window-and-trying-to-convince-the-girl-to-get-in kind of guy.

      “Is that Miss Rose?” Gabby burst through his thoughts again the way she always did.

      “She looks cold. Don’t you think she looks cold?” Tom asked, needing the kid to agree with him.

      Gabby met his gaze, the smile in her eyes settling him. “I guess.”

      “I think she does. How about we offer her a ride home?” Tom asked her.

      His pint-size passenger shrugged. “Okay.”

      Tom didn’t need any further encouragement. He slowed the car to a crawl and pulled up to the curb, lowering his window at the same time.

      Caitlin looked back, a frown line creasing the smooth skin of her face, and picked up her pace.

      Damn. He’d done exactly what he’d hoped not to do. Tom leaped from the car and called over the hood, not wanting to frighten her any more than he already had.

      “Caitlin!” he called. “You need a ride home?”

      This time when she turned the beaming smile was back. Tom hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until he saw that, was pleased she’d recognized him straight away. She held her bag clutched under one arm, was holding her hair with the other to keep it from her face.

      “You scared me before.”

      He walked around the front of the car and gestured to the passenger side. “Can we give you a ride? It’s too cold to walk.” Tom could tell she was thinking about it. “Please.”

      He’d negotiated enough to know when someone was about to say yes, but he still didn’t take it for granted. Tom turned his back and opened the door.

      “Scoot, kidlet,” he said to Gabby.

      She obliged, scrambling into the backseat and leaving the front free.

      He rocked back on his heels and smiled. Didn’t find it so hard to do this time because it came more naturally. “Jump in.”

      Caitlin nodded, before walking briskly to the car. She paused, looked nervous, before slipping past him and onto the seat. “Thanks.”

      Tom shut the door behind her and walked around the back of the car this time. Took a moment to touch the cool metal of the trunk as he sucked back a breath and prepared to get in the car with a woman who was doing strange things to him. Making him yearn for things that weren’t within his grasp any longer.

      But this was just a car ride. This was just him taking his niece’s teacher home. Nothing to get all hot under the collar about. Even he wasn’t capable of screwing this up.

      Tom jumped behind the wheel and buckled up. “Do you always walk home in the freezing cold?”

      She responded with a laugh that settled every bone in his body.

      “No,” she said, leaning back into the headrest and angling her face to peer back at Gabby. “My car’s at the shop and I thought the exercise would do me good. Are you sure it’s no problem to drive me?”

      He took his eyes off the road for a beat and glanced at her. “No problem. The last thing I need is Gabby coming home and telling me her teacher is off sick because I was too careless to stop and offer her a lift.”

      Caitlin grinned at him before brushing her fingers over his arm in the most casual of ways. As though she was used to touching him, as though it was something she did often.

      Tom kept his eyes on the road and wrapped his right hand tighter around the wheel. He wasn’t used to contact like that. Aside from Gabby, and maybe his sister-in-law, no one usually touched him. Almost all his adult life he’d had to СКАЧАТЬ