Page 20 of Summer with a Navy SEAL

“Ready?” I ask as she nods.

I take the lead and Willy follows, her body fitting against mine so perfectly as we sway gently to the rhythm of the waves, our bare feet barely leaving imprints in the cool sand. When I twirl her, she laughs this intoxicating laugh that sends my pulse racing.

“I never would have pegged you as a romantic, Hollister,” Willy teases, her voice trailing off as I suddenly dip her low, our faces inches apart.

“Call me Brogan.”

She pauses, her gaze dropping. “Brogan then.”

“I like hearing you say my name,” I say, slowly bringing her back up, our eyes locked. “A rare occurrence.”

“That’s because our arrangement has an expiration,” she says as I twirl her again, her hair catching the moonlight as it fans out around her.

When she comes back to me, I pull her a little closer. “Maybe I don’t want it to expire.”

Willy’s breath catches, and for a moment, I see a flicker of hope in her eyes before she masks it with a wry smile. “Don’t say things you don’t mean, Brogan.”

The way she says my name sends a shiver down myspine. I lean in, my forehead resting against hers. “Who says I don’t mean it?”

We’ve stopped swaying now, just standing still in the sand, the waves lapping at our feet. I can feel Willy’s heart racing, or maybe it’s mine.

“This isn’t your world,” she whispers. “Just like your world is nothing like mine.”

“Maybe my world is wherever you are.” I cup her face in my hands, my thumbs stroking her cheeks. “I know we started this as a charade, Willy, but somewhere along the way, it became real for me. You became real for me.”

She lets out a shaky breath, leaning into my touch. “We shouldn’t get carried away, Brogan. You, most of all.”

“Aren’t you the least bit carried away?” I ask in a low voice, my gaze drifting down to her full lips. “Curious to see if there’s more than meets the eye between us?”

“Like what?”

“A kiss,” I reply. “One kiss. If you don’t like it, you can leave a review. One over ten. Would not recommend.”

She giggles, then turns serious. “Okay.”

It’s all I need to hear. I pull her to me, one hand behind her neck and the other resting around her waist as I lower my face toward hers. The kiss is tentative at first as if seeking more permission, at least a physical one this time, and I get it. The moment her lips part to give my tongue access, I’m lost in her taste, her scent, her warmth, and I know that from this moment, I’m hers.

I can feel her melting into me, her body giving way beneath my fingers. She moans against my mouth before pulling away to catch her breath.

“Wow,” she whispers, her gaze meeting mine as I catch the scent of jasmine in her hair and the citrusy blend of her perfume, mingling with the salty sea air. Her eyes reflect the moonlight, a mix of wonder and desire that takes my breath away.

“Wow right back at ya,” I murmur, resting my forehead against hers again. “Shall we continue this at the house?”

She swallows, then nods. “If you want.”

“Oh, I want, but only if you do.”

She thinks for a few moments, grinning. “I don’t think I can give a full review if we don’t.”

We stumble into the beach house, giggling and laughing. There’s no need to turn on the lights, the moon doing a good job illuminating our way toward the stairs. We’re a tangle of arms and legs, a trail of sand creating a path from the door to the base of the stairs where I suddenly pick her up.

“Brogan, we’re going to fall!” Willy protests as I laugh.

“Not with me, we aren’t.” All those years lugging fifty pounds of gear on rough terrain make it easy to carry her up the stairs to the loft where Sir Fluffington the Third is summarily pushed to the floor with my leg before I set her down.

“My dress!” she whispers, giggling. “I don’t think it’s designed to be horizontal.”

“We can remedy that.” I spin her around so she’s facing away from me, one arm wrapped around her waist. With my other hand, I bring her hair to one side, exposing a shoulder. My lips brush against her skin, making her shiver. Her head falls back against my shoulder, and I smile.

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