Page 54 of Hot SEAL, Under Pressure

One stroke at a time. Wasn’t that what he’d told her? Aiming at the shore, she dipped her head down and began the slow steady rhythm. Repeating in her head with each rotation of her shoulder,one stroke at a time.

The suit was starting to chafe her in places she hadn’t considered.

The rough ocean made it almost impossible to take in a breath of air without also getting a gulp of water in her mouth.

It was physical torture like she’d never experienced. This was the closest she’d ever come to truly understanding why Stefan complained about BUD/S so often. She’d never discount what he said again.

The thoughts kept her mind occupied, maybe too much. Before she knew it, a wave had taken her and she was heading for the rocks barely visible above the roiling water.

She tried to change her trajectory. To navigate away from where the wave tossed her.

It was too late.

She hit hard as the wave tumbled her. She was aware of the pain in her shoulder as she struck the hard surface. Then her hip. Then her head before the blackness closed in.

The sensation of someone very close was the first thing she was aware of even as her eyes remained closed. She could hear their breath, fast and labored as she was jostled against something hard. A body maybe.

She realized that she had been airborne when she got the feeling of someone laying her down on the sand.

“Get the EMTs!” a voice yelled.

“We need a stretcher!” another voice demanded.

Everyone sounded so agitated. Why were they all so upset?

She decided to open her eyes and find out. But when she did, she could barely see.

Panic set in until she realized it was the goggles she still wore.

Lifting one hand she tried to push them up and off her head.

The first person she saw was Stefan, leaning low over her as he kneeled on the sand.

“Thank fuck.” Stefan breathed out in obvious relief.

He lifted his head and glanced around.

“She’s awake,” he announced. “We still need the medics over here. She’s probably got a concussion.”

“I’m fine,” she protested as she saw the ambulance crew running toward her, the requested stretcher between them.

Jonas leaned low. Concern etched clearly in his features. “Are you okay? How do you feel? You hit the rocks pretty hard.”

He looked especially worried about her well-being. A small part of her wondered if it was concern over a friend and coworker or if he was just imagining the paperwork nightmare ahead of him if she weren’t okay.

“I think I’m okay,” she answered as one of the emergency medical technicians shined a light into her eyes.

“Can you follow my finger?” the female EMT asked.

Shelly did as told, hoping she did it well so they’d leave her alone.

She didn’t like being the center of attention on a good day. But to be the star of the footage the editors had probably already ear marked in their minds to feature onthe most shocking episode of the seasonwas even worse.

The camera was right there over her, blocking out what little sunlight filtered through the cloud cover. They didn’t want to miss getting even a second of her unfortunate incident.

Stefan was still there close by too, but for a different reason. She guessed it was guilt as he kept repeating, “I’m so sorry, Shell. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Ishouldhave been right there next to you.”

Still woozy, she didn’t respond to his apology. Instead, she tried to sit up, then regretted it as she felt muscles she’d never been conscious of protest.

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