Page 5 of Loved by a SEAL

His jaw ticked. Maybe insinuating he and Patrick were buddies was a big no-no? But good Lord, he couldn’t really think she believed her brother spent every weekend with him prowling for women or something.

“Apparently not in your military chain of command, huh?”

“That’s a negative.”

“Well, anyway, thanks for walking me ten feet to my table.”

“Ma’am,” he said with a nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

Sarah cocked an eyebrow. “You’re coming to the barbeque?”

“My entire team will be there.”

“Right, I know. I just don’t usually see you at those things. Patrick and Rebecca host barbeques all the time.”

“I didn’t realize you were keeping track of my schedule,” he said, sounding amused.

“I wasn’t,” she said, starting to feel flustered. “I just—never mind.”

“Sarah,” he said as she turned away.

“Yeah?”

“Those guys you’re with have been eyeing every other attractive woman in the place tonight. Be careful. Your friend, too.”

She blew out a sigh. “Don’t worry. We’re just having some fun.”

“Have a good night.”

Dismissed, she thought wryly as she turned and walked away, feeling Ryan’s eyes on her the entire way. Why did she always feel so awkward in her own skin around that man? It was like she couldn’t ever relax when he was nearby because he had her so on edge. And no matter what she said, he always had an amused look on his face. Like he’d indulge her and listen to whatever she had to say, but he didn’t actually believe a single word of it.

And what did he mean every other attractive woman?

“I thought you ditched us for that guy,” Morgan said as she got back. Leaning over, she whispered in Sarah’s ear, “He’s hot! Tell me you already know him and didn’t just go hit on some random stranger.”

The guys they were with spotted someone they knew on the boardwalk and stood up from the table, calling out over the railing to another man.

“He’s nobody,” Sarah muttered.

“Nobody? He walked you back over here and then watched until you sat down.”

Sarah burst out laughing. “Give me a break. That’s the CO of Patrick’s SEAL team—as in commanding officer. He barely speaks to the other men off base and thinks everyone else is beneath him.”

“They are. Isn’t that how the military works? Maybe he’s not allowed to fraternize with the others. Besides, would you hang out with your boss after work?”

“That’s totally different.”

“Not at all,” Morgan disagreed.

“I thought you were anti-military guys. You know ‘they’re all jerks, I’ll never date a man in uniform again,’ blah blah blah.”

“Yeah, I was,” she said. “But that was before I saw that one.” Morgan’s gaze flicked back in the direction of Ryan as if to exemplify her point.

“Very funny. He’s also impossible to have a conversation with.”

“That looked like a pretty long conversation to me.”

“Never mind Ryan. I’ve known him for a year, and every single conversation we’ve had has ended in an argument.

“I’d be willing to argue with him for a night together,” she joked, waggling her eyebrows.

“Very funny. Now where’d our waitress go?” Sarah asked, looking around the crowded deck. “I need another margarita.”

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