Page 26 of Hot SEAL, Under Pressure

“All right. So these shows are popular then.”

“Uh, yeah. Do they have you like living in a bunker there on base? Do you not have the internet?”

“I have the internet. I just choose to use it for other things.”

“Like what? Ew! Porn?” she asked.

“Jesus—No.” At least not that he was going to admit to his little sister. Time to change the subject. “Is Mom or Dad around?”

“Nope.”

He tempered his annoyance at her unhelpful answer. “Would you like to tell me where they are?”

“The butcher.”

Easter. Of course.

In the midst of this reality show crap, he’d forgotten about the impending holiday. There’d be kielbasa and stuffed cabbage rolls on the table. Not to mention hard-boiled, decorated eggs. The centerpiece would be the molded lamb made from butter, useful since it would be eaten with the bread also served. Then there were the cakes—always more than one. A whole buffet of them, including his favorite, babka.

And now he was homesick and hungry.

He sighed. “All right. Tell them I called and I’ll call again on Sunday.”

“You better. It’s Easter on Sunday.”

“Yes. I know. Bye, Irina.”

“Bye, brat.” She disconnected and was gone before he had time to lay down his cell and stare at the reality show site on the screen in front of him.

The people who were on these shows were front and center on the website. Which meant he would be too. If he was going to give up his privacy, his anonymity, he was damn well going to make it worth his while.

Time to rig this competition in his favor and ensure that money landed in his pocket and no one else’s.

She needed competitive events, huh? He’d give Shelly the list she’d asked for, all right. And on it would be the things he personally excelled at, starting with the O-course.

“Knock, knock.”

He glanced up and saw Wyatt standing in his doorway.

“We’re going out. You coming?”

“I can’t. I’m busy.”

“Busy doing what?” Wyatt frowned and moved closer.

Doing something he hadn’t told his team about yet but was going to have to.

Stefan leaned the screen of his laptop down so Wyatt wouldn’t see the browser. It still displayed the reality shows his sister was so enthralled with. The same shows his team would tease him about relentlessly forever if they saw him looking at them.

And what were they going to do when he was actually on one? He might have a chance since his show was based on SEAL training and not on decorating your house with garbage or wooing bridesmaids or whatever happened on those other shows.

It was tempting to try and keep the whole mess secret from his team but that was going to be impossible. They’d notice when he started missing meetings and trainings and—and this one was going to hurt if it happened—ops.

No man wanted to be left behind when his brothers went off into danger. And he might have to do exactly that. For a dumb show. Under his command’simplied orders—for lack of a better term.

He drew in a breath and spun the chair to face Wyatt. I have to tell you—all of you—something.”

“Oh, shit. What happened?”

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