Page 3 of A SEAL for the Weekend
He nods once. “Good point. You can go out to your own car, and our man here”—he indicates the bartender— “can watch you on the CCTV cameras to make sure you get to your car safely.”
He’s giving me a way out, and I know I should take it. I can almost hear my mom scolding me to leave. But I feel safe with him, and if I’m going to accomplish my goal, he’s the one I want to do it with.
I nod to the bartender. “I’ll take another beer, please.” The man pulls out his wallet, but I shake my head. “And I’ll pay for it.”
His gaze meets mine, and he nods again, slipping his wallet away. He understands why I don’t want a man to buy me a drink. I don’t want to feel an obligation. Even though that’s what I came for.
“And one for my friend,” I add.
Mystery Man raises his eyebrows at me.
“For saving me.” I give him my first genuine smile of the night.
2
RYAN
The woman swigs her beer as if she’s wandered through the desert. She wears a ring on her middle finger, which she twists with her thumb. It’s the only tell I can see that shows she’s nervous.
There’s usually only one reason a woman on her own would come to a bar like this, but from the way she turned down two male advances, either she’s extremely picky, or she’s naive.
“What’s your name?”
“Rose.” Her eyes dart to the side, and she presses her lips together. Another tell. If Rose is her real name, then I’m the pope.
And if she’s going by a fake name, then she’s here for the former. She’s picky, and she can deserve to be. With her pixie cut hair and high full cheek bones, “Rose” is gorgeous.
I sip my beer giving her an opportunity to ask for my name, but she doesn’t. So, I ask, “What are you in town for?”
She turns her head slowly. “How do you know I don’t live here?”
I lean on the bar and turn a coaster over in my hand. “Because if you did, you’d know this isn’t the kind of bar women come to on their own.”
“You seem to know a lot about the women who come to this bar.” Even as she tilts her head to the side, pinning me with a sharp gaze, I can’t help but admire her beauty and appreciate her refusal to be cowed. I get the feeling “Rose” doesn’t miss anything. She’s clearly smart, but her pretty eyes carry sadness in them.
I spin the coaster in my hand. “I was based here for a while.” I’m not going to tell her I’m special forces. Better to let her think I’m just another soldier.
She angles her body toward mine, and I catch a scent of her perfume, sweet and musky and so feminine. It’s been a long time since I was this close to a woman.
“But you’re not based here now?”
I pause, taking a sip of my beer. My years as a SEAL has ingrained a deep need to not divulge the truth. Not about my unit, not about what I do, and not about why I’ve been back on US soil for the past four weeks.
“I fly out in two days.”
I watch her as I respond. I’m letting her know that whatever happens between us, I’ll be gone in two days.
She maintains eye contact. “I’m leaving tomorrow.” Her words carry the same hidden meaning. If we’re going to hook up, it’s for one night only.
My pulse ticks up a notch. It’s been far too long since I hooked up with a woman. But it’s not like there hasn’t been opportunity. They just weren’t Rose.
“You want to get out of here and grab something to eat?”
She leans in closer, and her earring dangles just above her throat, drawing my attention to the smooth curve of her neck, which is begging to be kissed. She swallows hard, and her ring taps against her beer bottle.
“I have a hotel down the street. Do you want to come back and order room service?”
I raise my eyebrows and smile, surprised by her boldness. “Are you picking me up?”
