Page 14 of Harry

Though he wanted to go running with her and maybe spend Saturday or Sunday just hanging out, he knew they needed to take a break. Two weekends of spending time with each other wasn’t bad, but three in a row would shine a light on them in a bad way.

Rory agreed when he said something, which made him like her even more. He hated the idea that she would quit the military just to be with him, but he felt there was more behind her decision than he knew.

Work was work and kept him busy while he was waiting more than a week to see Rory again. They were brought in during another team’s mission to provide overwatch and make suggestions. Sitting in California while watching a team invade a compound or attack a stronghold was frustrating. Thoughts of the mission they’d gone on with the bad intel hit, and he ran his thumb over the scar. When Bear had told him he was leaking, it had seemed so surreal. It was the closest he’d come to game over.

Missions were dangerous. That’s why they had special teams. Not everyone could go in and rescue a group of people or take out a terrorist. There were some things that were just difficult. Watching the other team work through problems that arose made him proud to be a SEAL and made him wish he was over there doing the raid.

After they finished with overwatch, he headed home, wondering what Rory was doing. He’d said he didn’t want to get together, but now he wanted to see her. If they developed some sort of relationship, they would have to get it approved. Having the government involved in his life was part of being a SEAL. There were things other people could do without giving it a second thought, but he had to live his entire life within the structure of being a part of the military.

He didn’t sleep well that night as thoughts of Rory invaded. He woke hard as a rock, and all it took was him moving the sheets for him to come. It had been almost a decade since he’d come in his bed without jacking off.

He lay stunned by his reaction to dreams of Rory. This was getting intense, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to release the pressure or add on to it. Rory was sexy, smart, and everything he would look for in a woman if he was looking. Maybe they should spend more time together and see if they really were a match.

By late Saturday night, he was still obsessing over Rory. He pulled out his phone, looking at photos he’d snapped when they’d been at the park with the rest of his team and their women. She fit his life. No question, she was the one he wanted. Now, he just had to figure out how to get her into his life without destroying their careers.

Chapter 9

Rory stood under the street light, waiting for Lucia. They planned to meet downtown in a public area, but not where the crowds were. She hoped Lucia didn’t bail on her. Her sister had warned her that she was stirring up trouble and didn’t want a piece of it. She understood and didn’t want Lucia to get involved, but she needed someone to talk to.

When Lucia stepped out of the shadows, Rory heaved a huge sigh before running over to hug her sister. Lucia held her tight, her lips right at Rory’s ear.

“You need to stop looking into whatever you found.”

Rory pulled back enough to see her sister’s face. “Did you hear anything?”

Lucia shook her head. “No, but I’m worried about you.”

“I’m worried, too.”

“Don’t tell me everything. I can’t lie. I’ll have to tell if they ask me anything because I’m awful at lying.”

“I know. I just wanted to see you.”

“I wanted to see you, too.”

Rory picked up that something was wrong with Lucia. “What’s up?”

“The girl I was dating is moving across the country.” Lucia’s voice was flat, and Rory picked up hints of anger.

Thoughts of Harry moving or her having to leave California filled her, and she realized she didn’t want to lose her relationship with Harry. Not that they’d done more than hang out a few times, but she really connected with him. They would be good together. “I’m sorry.”

“It was going well, and now she’s being moved.”

Rory knew Lucia really liked this woman. Now, it seemed like they would be over. She hated that for her sister. “That sucks.”

“It does.”

“Do you think you two will stay in contact?”

Lucia shook her head. “No. She’s not the type. I should have known not to get involved.”

“I wish I could do something.”

“Find me a good person.”

Rory threw back her head, and laughter spilled out. Lucia rolled her eyes and then started walking. Rory followed her sister.

“I think I’d have an easier time finding a bar of gold on the street than finding you a good person to be involved with. I can’t even find one for myself without potentially getting in trouble.”

---