Page 4 of Loved by a SEAL

“It’s a reasonable question.” A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Sarah could see the couple he was with whispering to one another. Yeah, she’d never heard Ryan crack a joke either.

“Your date’s giving me the evil eye,” he said.

“Date?” Sarah scoffed. “I just met him. We’re having drinks.”

“You don’t think drinks count as a date?”

“Of course they could. But that,” she said, jerking her thumb toward the table she’d left, “is not a date. I’m having dinner with Morgan and danced with one of the guys.”

He nodded, his expression unreadable. “Is that your friend?” he asked, looking over at her table.

Sarah followed his line of vision. “Yes, that’s Morgan. You want me to introduce you two? I should warn you, she doesn’t date military men anymore.”

“No, I don’t need you to introduce me,” he said, his voice gruff. He crossed his arms, gazing down at her, and she got the impression this was how he spoke to everyone. All business, no time for joking around.

“That’s right, I’m sure your sparkling personality wins over all the women,” she said.

His friend guffawed from his seat.

“Waiting for your date now?” she asked innocently.

“I’m here alone.”

“Alone? What about us?” his buddy chimed in. “I’m wounded.”

“Now you, I like,” Sarah joked. “Ryan here never cracks a smile.”

He cleared his throat.

“Well, I should let you get back to your dinner,” she said, looking at him in confusion. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“It was no interruption,” he assured her.

“Nice to meet you,” she said to the couple. “I should get back to my friend.” They turned to their plates and began eating their dinner as Ryan stepped closer to her.

“I’ll escort you back to your table,” he said, gesturing for her to go ahead of him. His large hand rested on the small of her back, and she unexpectedly felt shivers race down her spine.

She could feel the heat from his touch beneath the gauzy sundress she wore, almost as if he were leaving an imprint on her skin. That coupled with that fact that he towered above her, all beef and brawn, made her feel unexpectedly feminine. Fragile.

Not that she wasn’t able to take care of herself. Or that she needed a man like him.

“What? It’s right over there. I’m perfectly capable—”

“Of course you are,” he said as they paused a few feet away, removing his hand from her back. “I was being polite.” His lips quirked.

“Most men don’t insist on walking a woman a few feet to where she’s going.”

“I’m not most men,” he said, his voice gravel.

“Is this because of Patrick?” she asked.

“Patrick?”

“He told all those other guys on the team to watch out for me—he was only partly joking.”

“I don’t report to Patrick,” Ryan said, looking down at her with stormy gray eyes.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said in exasperation. “Isn’t that like, guy code or something? Watch out for your buddy’s younger sister?”

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