Page 20 of Loved by a SEAL

The lights suddenly came on as he released her, and she almost cried in relief as she realized Ryan was standing in front of her. Towering over her was really more apt of a description, because holy hell, the man was huge. He must’ve been a foot taller than her, with broad shoulders and large pecs exactly at her eye level. The type of man she usually wouldn’t mind curling up against. If she wasn’t busy throwing punches at him, that is.

She stepped back in confusion, shaking.

Concerned gray eyes watched her, and the briefest flicker of an expression she couldn’t quite read crossed his face as he glanced down at her still clenched fists.

“What the hell were you doing here in the dark?” she asked.

“I think the circuit breaker blew. A light bulb went out in the kitchen.” He stepped infinitesimally closer, heat practically radiating off his large frame as she trembled. “Are you okay?”

She crossed her arms. “I’m fine.”

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, eyes running up and down her body as if he were checking for injuries.

“You grabbed me! I thought Rebecca’s stalker was back and prowling around Patrick’s house.”

A look of anger flashed across his face. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I thought you were going to hurt yourself in the dark when you screamed.”

“Didn’t you know I was there?”

“I heard someone coming down the hall.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” she asked, feeling exasperated. Jesus Christ. He’d given her the scare of her life intentionally?

His lips pressed together. “It’s not like I jumped out yelling. I was coming out of the kitchen to check the breaker.”

Her gaze slid to the door of the kitchen then back to him. “If you’re still in here, then how’d the lights just come back on?”

“I texted Patrick and asked where the breaker was. He must’ve already gone into his garage and flipped the switch back.”

“Oh. Right. Well you didn’t need to grab me like that.”

“I thought you were going to hurt yourself swinging at me like that.”

Sarah’s cheeks warmed. She wasn’t the type of woman to go around blushing at every word a man said, but holy hell that was embarrassing. She felt as ridiculous as a kitten batting at a lion for all the good her attempted punches had done.

“I guess I should take a self-defense class,” she muttered.

“You’ve got a pretty mean right hook. I’m trained in combat though.”

“Yeah, I don’t usually go around sparring with Navy SEALs,” she said, letting out a deep breath.

“I could put you on the roster,” he said, cocking an eyebrow.

Holy hell. Now the man was teasing her?

What was next? The floor would open up and swallow her whole?

“Everyone okay?” Patrick asked, poking his head in the door. His eyes swept from her to his CO. “I thought I heard shouting when I was in the garage.”

“Everything’s great,” Sarah said with an innocent smile. No sense in telling her brother that she’d been fighting his CO. As in, literally throwing punches at the man.

“I think I frightened your sister. She throws a mean punch.”

“Jesus,” Patrick muttered. “Sir, I apologize—”

“No apologies necessary. I was at least partly to blame.”

“Partly?” she protested.

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