Page 18 of Stranded with a SEAL

He chuckled, watching her lift her can of sparkling wine to her mouth again. “To fishing!” she yelled, raising her can in the air.

Taylor giggled beside her. “Best trip ever,” she agreed. “To fishing!”

“Hell, I’ll drink to that,” Mason said.

Noah watched his friends as he grabbed his own beer. Although he’d figured they’d have a good time, he was having a hell of a lot more fun than expected. And he knew all of that had to do with Bailey.

Chapter 7

Bailey emerged from the bathroom off her bedroom at the condo later that afternoon, towel-drying her damp hair. A carefree day of relaxing out on the water, sunbathing, and fishing was exactly what she needed. While the rest of her coworkers were back at the bar on what was no doubt a busy Saturday, she and her friends were about to grill fish, enjoy a few cocktails, and relax in their oceanfront condo.

She crossed over to her suitcase, pulling out one of her sundresses. Deciding to forgo a bra, she pulled on her thong and then slipped the dress over her head. It crisscrossed in the front, wrapping around her breasts with a halter tie in the back.

Skipping her sandals, she ran a comb through her hair, applied a touch of make-up, and walked out into the living room.

Noah was unloading some bags of groceries in the kitchen. He grinned when he spotted her, his eyes flickering with interest. “I think I got everything you wanted for drinks—mint, limes, club soda, and rum.”

“Did they have any simple syrup?”

“I couldn’t find any. I grabbed some sugar instead. I figure you’d know what to do to make it.”

“Awesome. I make a killer mojito.”

“I’m more of a beer guy myself, but I’ll try anything once.”

“You’ve never had a mojito?” she asked in surprise, crossing the room toward him. Noah had showered and changed earlier as well. Even in a casual shirt and shorts, he looked tempting as hell. He’d shaved, so she could see his chiseled jaw. His aviators were perched atop his head, and with his dark, cropped hair and muscular build, he was exactly her type.

And totally wrong for her.

He moved easily around the small kitchen, unpacking the bags and stashing things in the fridge or on the counters.

Bailey opened a cupboard, glancing up. “Can you grab those tall glasses from the top? They’d be perfect for mojitos.”

“Sure thing, sunshine,” he said, walking over behind her. He reached right over her, easily grabbing four tall glasses from the top shelf. He smelled clean, with just a hint of spice, and she resisted the urge to shiver at his closeness. To press back against him and feel his solid body against hers.

He moved away all too quickly and lined the glasses up on the counter, glancing over in her direction. “Your hair smells like coconuts.”

“It’s still damp,” she said, running her fingers through it. “And that’s my favorite shampoo.” She crossed the kitchen to grab the bag of limes, putting some distance between them. So far, she’d done a pretty good job of mostly keeping him at arm’s length—they’d flirted and touched a little, but there’d been nothing more. Nothing that would lead them into falling into bed together, that is.

And that’s how she intended to keep things between them. “Where are Taylor and Mason?” she asked.

“They haven’t come out of their room yet,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s no necktie hanging from the door or anything, but I’m not about to disturb them.”

“Oh God, me either,” Bailey said, rolling her eyes.

“Maybe they’re just napping,” Noah said, raising his eyebrows as she glanced over at him.

“Right. The first chance they got to ditch us, they took.”

Noah chuckled. “Easy, sunshine. Can you blame them? That’s why we’re both here, remember? To keep each other company.”

“So basically, you owe me one for coming along on the trip,” she said, watching as his green eyes lit up in amusement. “How else would you occupy your time without me around?”

“Yeah right. Hanging out on a boat all day in the Florida sunshine is such a hardship.”

“Did you miss the part where I’m stuck with you?” she teased.

He smirked, crossing the kitchen toward her, and she took a step back, realizing she had nowhere to go. Amusement flickered across his face. She pressed back against the counter, and then he was hauling her up and over his shoulder, laughing as she shrieked in surprise.

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