Page 2 of Rescued by a SEAL

“Very funny, jackass,” Mason said as he opened his locker. He pulled his sweaty tee shirt up over his head, ready to hit the showers.

“Man,” Jacob muttered beside him. “First Hunter and Colton find women of their own, and now you, too? Maybe the Delta team can have a triple wedding or something.”

Their SEAL team leader Hunter “Hook” Murdock had met his girlfriend Emma in London while on the run from terrorists. Colton “C-4” Ferguson had met Camila as part of their op to take down her father, a notorious drug lord in Bogota. Neither of the SEALs had expected to fall for the women they’d rescued, but both Emma and Camila had moved to Virginia Beach and seemed happy as hell to be with their men.

And Colton and Hunter were now very much absent from their evening games of basketball and nights out at Anchors.

“I’m not with Taylor,” Mason said. “I like her—so shoot me. She’s gorgeous, and it’s cute as hell the way she always blushes around me. That doesn’t mean I’m going to marry the woman or something. Hell, I haven’t even taken her out yet.”

Ryker snickered, stripping off his own shirt. He balled it up and tossed it aside. “Bang her first, bro. No need to rush into marriage.”

Mason muttered to himself, slamming his locker shut. The rest of his SEAL team was single and more than happy to play the field. To take home a different woman every week. What the hell did he expect? If a woman they were interested in wasn’t readily available, they moved on to the next good-looking chick to come by.

No harm, no foul.

Why was he so hung up on Taylor anyway?

If she’d thrown herself at him and begged him to take her home for the night, would the thrill of the chase be gone?

It wasn’t that though, he rationalized. She was different than the type of women he usually went after. More reserved. Quieter. Shy.

But something about the way she always looked at him thrilled him to no end.

If she blushed that much just from being near him, he’d love to see how she reacted if he bent over and stole a kiss. Pulled her down on the sofa at his place and made out with her.

Took her to bed and enjoyed her for hours.

“Hell,” Noah said, stopping beside him, gripping his towel around his waist as he headed for the showers. “Just ask her if everything’s okay. Women like that shit.”

“And suddenly you’re an expert on women,” Mason chuckled.

“The last woman I took home didn’t have any complaints,” Noah quipped.

Mason smirked as his buddy walked off. Damn it all to hell. It wasn’t his place to worry about Taylor, a woman he for all intents and purposes barely knew.

They were acquaintances, barely. Not friends. Not dating. Not lovers.

He had a nagging feeling something wasn’t exactly right though. And as a Navy SEAL, he’d been trained to follow his instincts. To be aware and observant at all times.

The question was, even if something was going on in Taylor’s life, they were practically strangers. A few texts and flirty dinners where she waited on their table weren’t exactly the start of a relationship.

Would she even want his help?

***

Thirty minutes later, Mason was driving down the highway from Little Creek toward Virginia Beach. His stereo blasted through his SUV, and the ocean breeze blew in through his open windows.

He passed a couple of large high-rise hotels, aiming for the parking garage close to Anchors.

They were at Uncle Sam’s beck and call 24/7. Getting called on a mission meant they were wheels up within hours. Most of his team was still single, and they enjoyed nights out when they were all stateside. Hell, the other SEAL team stationed at Little Creek, the Alpha SEALs, were all married or in a serious relationship. A couple of them had kids already.

Mason pulled into a parking garage along Atlantic Avenue, the long stretch of road that ran along the busy section of Virginia Beach. He hopped out of his SUV, setting the alarm before crossing the dimly lit garage and walking down the block toward Anchors.

A gentle breeze blew in from the ocean. His gaze swept the area on the boardwalk—although there were a few people strolling along the water, it was nothing like the summer months when tourists flocked to the area.

He pulled open the door to the popular bar, the sounds of music and laughter and scent of fries and burgers hitting him. A long bar stretched across one side of the restaurant, but his gaze landed on their usual spot.

Hunter and Emma were already nestled at a table at the back, Emma sitting comfortably on Hunter’s lap. Hunter lifted his chin in greeting as he saw Mason, his arms wrapped around his woman.

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