Page 30 of SEAL's Temptation

Chapter 14

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“BRUTAL DAY,” LUCIANAsaid as they moved back to their housing area the following evening.The women needed to clean up before dinner, and Avery was both sweaty and exhausted.At least they had real showers here.Some onsite locations relied on little more than a field shower or bucket of water.

This was lavish in comparison.

“It was rough.I’m hungry and exhausted, but that’s the very least of my troubles right now.Some of those kids....”Avery shook her head.They’d treated a young teenage girl who’d been raped sometime along her journey north.She was in rough shape, and Avery had to practically push Dr.Walters out of the tent so they could examine her.Avery understood why many of the women were fearful of men after what they’d endured.Unfortunately, both doctors here were male, which had posed a problem in some instances.While the men were perfectly capable physicians, the patients sometimes preferred a woman to examine them—if they allowed anyone to see them at all.

“At least we are here to provide care,” Luciana said matter-of-factly.“If we were not, they’d be in even worse shape.Some might not survive.That is the brutal reality of the jungle.”

Avery’s stomach churned, and she sank down into the wooden chair at her small desk.“How do you deal with it?”she asked her roommate.“I’ve been here a month, and I thought I was prepared—” She cut off.

Luciana eyed her sadly.“There is no way to prepare for this.You’ll help who you can and then eventually go back to the U.S.There will always be more migrants coming, more horror.You have to focus on who you did help, not who you didn’t.”

“That’s tough for me to do,” Avery admitted.

“Si.But you must, both for your own well-being as well as that of the patients you treat.”

Avery studied her a moment.Luciana was around her age, only two years older.The age gap seemed bigger, somehow, because of the life her roommate had led.They were both compassionate nurses, devoted to treating others, and skilled in their profession, but Avery’s reality was a far cry from the women she worked with daily.

A knock on their bedroom door had Luciana crossing the room to open it.She spoke with two of the other nurses, making plans for them to all meet for a meal in thirty minutes.

“Ada and Isabella,” she said as she returned.Luciana ruffled through her pile of clothes, pulling out some clean items.Avery had to hustle along and get ready herself, but she wanted to fire up her laptop first and check her email before dashing off to the shower.

Avery smiled as she scanned over her new emails.There was one from a nurse friend back in California, one from her parents, but that’s not where her eyes immediately went.There were not one but two messages from Ryan, and her heart fluttered.

She eagerly clicked on the first email he’d sent her early that morning.

Hey there baby.I’m heading to PT but wanted to shoot you a quick message in case you check this before work.Went on a solo hike to our waterfall yesterday, but it wasn’t the same without you there.Miss you.xoxo Ryan

There was a longer note, too, sent later this evening.She really had worked long hours today if Ryan was home before her.The SEAL team trained hard, but the brutal realities of life here meant she had little down time.There was never enough staff to help the steady stream of patients.

She scanned over his message quickly, devouring every word.Avery flushed as he recounted all the ways that he missed her, especially when he said he missed her in his bed.

She missed that, too.The closeness.The comfort.The feel of his big body moving over hers and filling her, giving her exactly what she so desperately needed.

Avery almost wished she’d slept with him sooner.That one brief weekend together where they’d finally admitted and acted on their feelings hadn’t been enough.Avery had quickly realized what she’d been missing out on all those months.But the time had allowed them to grow closer, to develop a solid friendship that formed the basis of their new relationship.And once they’d crossed that line?

Her pulse pounded.

Those memories kept her up some nights—Ryan’s big hands on her body, his kisses, the way they’d made love.She hoped against hope that she could take some time off around the holidays and fly to Hawaii to meet him.While they were allotted some personal days, their day-to-day schedule was hectic.Harried.The nursing staff would be fine if she left, but Avery would feel guilty flying off to a tropical paradise while everyone else continued the hard work here.

“Dr.Walters seemed even more annoyed than usual today,” Luciana commented as she took off her shoes.“He was snippy to me all day long.”

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