Page 25 of Ex-SEAL Bad Boy

“Shit,” I groan, the finger on my clit moving in rapid circles, my breath coming in fast gasps.

My climax washes over me as I slump heavily against the tile wall, my legs barely able to hold me up.

Shit, I’m going to be late, I think, glancing at my phone while stepping out of the shower.

I dress quickly, and my phone buzzes as I step out the door.

“Hey Mel,” I try to sound casual, but I dread telling her about my night with Ethan.

“Hey, Soph. The girls and I are heading down to the beach later. Wanna join us?”

“Sorry, can’t. Got called in to work to cover a shift.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah ... listen, um, I gotta tell you something. Try not to be mad.”

“Uh oh. I don’t like the sound of this.”

“So, I don’t know how you’re going to feel about this, but I went out with Ethan again last night, and I ... kind of ended up hooking up with him again.”

I dread hearing what she’s going to say, thinking she’ll berate me.

“Look, I love you, Soph, and we’ve been over how I feel about Ethan. I don’t know if you really know what he did to Alexa,” she says, referring to her older sister.

“No,” I admit. I know he was supposedly pretty emotionally abusive towards her, then cheated on her and dumped her unceremoniously. It was a shitty thing to do, but I didn’t know the details.”

“Yeah, well, it was a while ago, but he used to give her shit, tell her he didn’t know why he even dated her because she was shallow and stupid. Then he went and cheated on her and then tried to make it sound like it was all her fault.”

“I had no idea,” is all I can say. I find it hard to believe the Ethan I know could be such an asshole. I had heard Liam talk about what a “player” Ethan was but found it hard to believe it was that bad.

I also know that Melanie wouldn’t lie to me.

“Jeez, I’m sorry Mel. I ... I didn’t know it was that bad.”

“Look, I don’t want to ruin your happiness. I mean, who knows, it’s been a long time, and maybe he’s changed, I have no idea.”

“It bothers me that he was ever like that. I don’t want to say a tiger can’t change his stripes, but that’s some serious shit. That’s a discussion I’ll be having with him. You remember what happened with me and Dax?”

“Oh, I remember,” she says derisively. “Like I told you before, if he makes you happy, I’m happy for you; just please, please, be careful.

Be careful. Those words rattle around in my head after I hang up. Are my feelings for Ethan so strong that I’m failing to realize I’m walking into the same sort of trap I fell into with Dax—or worse?

Could Ethan really be dangerous?

11

ETHAN

I drop to my knees in the sand, my breathing labored, and my heart feels like it’s beating out of my chest.

Five miles.

Five lousy miles.

Back in the Navy, I could do twice that, barely breaking a sweat.

I’m getting weak.

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