Page 5 of SEAL's Temptation

“You can check me out all you want, Av,” he teased, his voice a low rumble that made her belly do a funny little flip.“I don’t mind in the least.”

“Oh my gosh,” she said, feeling slightly embarrassed as she covered her face with one hand.She was a nurse for crying out loud.A grown woman.But sometimes, she felt like a teenage girl around him, flirty and full of laughter and shared smiles.Secret looks.

Ryan’s own deep laughter filled the forest, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, not releasing it.“Trust me, Av, I’ve always appreciated looking at you.You were probably just too busy to notice.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, biting her lip.

“I’m serious,” he said with a grin.“The other guys could tell I was interested in you.”

Avery huffed out a laugh.“I’m sure Aaron loved that,” she joked.

“Your brother doesn’t get a say in it,” he said, his tone suddenly serious.

She glanced at his strong profile, taking in his shortly-cropped hair and masculine, chiseled features.His jaw was set.Determined.He meant what he said.Avery had no issue telling her brother to mind his own business, but she appreciated that Ryan felt the same way.

He led her further down the trail, the quiet Hawaiian morning serene.It was almost hard to believe she’d just flown in yesterday for a quick trip.One moment she’d been boarding a plane, and the next, waking up in a tropical paradise, Ryan picking her up at her hotel bright and early for their adventure.She knew the team kept early hours for their training, and with the time zone difference, she was wide awake at the crack of dawn, too.

He easily carried both their backpacks now.Ryan was fit, with broad shoulders she’d imagined clinging onto more than once.He was the shortest guy on his SEAL team, and for some reason, she loved that.Some men could be intimidating with their height and size, and she simply just felt safe with him.

Safe, but also capable of melting in his arms.

He was different than the men she worked with at the hospital.Different from the men she’d volunteered with in foreign lands.Ryan was a confident, alpha male.He took charge.Made things happen.And while Avery considered herself an independent woman, she had to admit she appreciated that he was always watching out for her.

His green eyes landed on hers, and an understanding passed between them.“You come first, Av,” he told her seriously.“Your brother and I might be teammates, but I want you to know that.”

“Ryan.”

“I’m serious.I talk to you more than any of those guys, and I train with them every day.You don’t even live here and know more about me than they do.”

She playfully nudged him.“All your secrets are safe with me.”

“Whew.”He pantomimed wiping his brow, then flashed her a crooked grin.

She smirked.Ryan had no skeletons in his closet.He was an all-around good guy.Hotter than any man had a right to be, too, but she didn’t need to tell him that.He’d already seen her admiring his muscular build, much to her embarrassment.

They emerged from beneath some low-hanging branches, Ryan holding them up so she didn’t get scratched by them.Her stomach did another somersault.He was chivalrous.Yes, she could’ve held the branches out of the way herself, but she liked how sweet he always was with her.And for a guy that had such an athletic, testosterone-fueled career, he seemed happy to do things at her pace.She kept in good shape but knew she could never compete with his strength or endurance.

“See that up ahead?”he asked, his deep voice once again jarring her from her thoughts.Her eyes widened as she took in the view, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the pleased look on his face.

“Wow!That’s incredible!”she said in surprise as she looked at the massive waterfall, the sound practically music to her ears.“It looks like something out of a movie—maybe Jurassic Park,” she said excitedly as he chuckled.“Look at the way the sun is shining through it.You can even see a rainbow!”

“Knew you’d like it,” he said smugly.

She glanced over at him, unable to hold back her own smile.“What made you think that?”

“You told me how much you love sunsets on the beach.We enjoyed a few together,” he added, his voice low.“This isn’t exactly the same, but it’s pretty cool.Nature at its finest,” he joked.

“I don’t just like it, I love it,” she told him honestly.“There’s absolutely nothing like this back home.I’d want to come here every day if I moved to Oahu.”

“It’s safer than the Darien Gap,” he quipped, his voice darkening.

“Ryan,” she pleaded, turning toward him.“I already have my brother on my case.I told you I might take a job with Doctors Without Borders, and you said go for it.”

“I did,” he agreed.“But you didn’t share what borders you’d be heading to.”He shot her a look, and she felt a slight twinge of regret.He wasn’t wrong.

“You’re right.I didn’t tell you where I was hoping to go,” she admitted.“But I didn’t think you’d care.I mean, I knew you’d want details of course,” she added before he could protest.“I just didn’t realize it would bother you.”

Ryan glanced toward a couple nearby and then led Avery over to a more secluded area, away from the tourists and locals who were also out this early.He set both backpacks down on the ground, each landing with a slight thump, and turned toward her as the waterfall thundered from nearby.

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