Page 21 of SEAL's Tempest
“Fuck, really? A wannabe?” Josh looked horrified.
Tempest nodded. “Yes. The ass didn’t make it past the first day of BUD/S before ringing the bell. When I confronted him, he got violent.”
Anger flared in Josh’s gaze, but he swallowed whatever words he was going to say. “What happened after that?”
“I went to speak with his CO. Luckily, it wasn’t just his word against mine. He ended up with a dishonorable discharge but no jail time since I had no visible injuries.”
Josh nodded. “Good. I’m glad they believed you.”
“I’m not sure they would have if not for my father. But that’s another story,” Tempest said. “After Sinbad was discharged, I felt like I was being followed whenever I wasn’t on base. I couldn’t prove it, but when it started affecting my life, I decided to put in for the duty change.”
“I guess I triggered you when we met?” Josh asked softly.
“Yes and no. You’re nothing like my ex. It was just sailors or maybe any military men in general. It was stupid. Since I moved into a complex just off base, of course my neighbors were most likely Navy or civilian contractors.” Tempest smiled. “I really am sorry for everything. I was a total bitch to you.”
Josh laughed. “Yeah, you were, but it makes sense now. I promise I’m a real Navy SEAL, and I’d never do anything to hurt you—ever.”
Tempest swallowed past the lump in her throat. How could she ever have treated this man so poorly?
“I believe you.” She tried to hide her blush by taking a drink of water. Then she got up to check the video feed.
“Are they still there?” Josh put his Sig Sauer on the arm of the couch and propped his booted feet on the coffee table.
Tempest nodded. “Unfortunately. Why couldn’t they go eat or something? We need to blow this gin joint.”
“Casablanca?” Josh asked with a grin.
“You know the movie?” Tempest couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Of course. It’s one of my mother’s favorites. I’ve watched it with her so many times I could probably recite the dialogue.”
Tempest laughed. “Me, too. Although maybe not so much anymore. What types of movies do you watch when you’re not with your mom?”
“Action or comedy. I love Ryan Reynolds movies; Deadpool is my hero. Even though he’d flick a cigarette at me for saying it.”
The longer they chatted, the more she realized how much they had in common. Like their love of plants,
“Well, I prefer my pots inside rather than getting filthy in the garden.”
Josh chuckled. “That figures.”
Their conversation seemed so normal it was almost easy to forget they were in an extremely dangerous situation. But Tempest couldn’t keep herself from getting up to check the video feed to see what was happening on the other side of the steel door.
After the third time, Josh shook his head and grinned.
“Why don’t we make the room more Feng Shui?”
Tempest couldn’t believe he’d said that and immediately started giggling. As she tried to catch her breath, she asked, “Do you even know what that means?”
“Damn, woman, you wound me.” Josh grabbed his chest and fell backward onto the couch like she’d stabbed him.
Once Tempest started giggling, she couldn’t stop. She blamed it on the tension of being locked in the building. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes, and she dropped onto the couch as she wrapped her arms around her waist to stop the cramps her laughter triggered.
The giggles turned into hiccups by the time Tempest got control of herself. “I haven’t laughed so hard in ages.”
“You should do it more often. It looks good on you.” The heat in Josh’s gaze caused raised goosebumps on her arms and made her squirm. Suddenly she felt way out of her depth and she jumped up from the couch.
Before Tempest could come up with an answer, Josh pointed to his earpiece. Finally, Quinn was getting back to him.
