Page 16 of Stranded with a SEAL

The coconut scent filled the air, and his groin tightened as he moved lower, his fingertips just barely skimming over the sides of her breasts as he worked his way down. Noah heard her small intake of breath, but he kept moving, spreading sunscreen over the small of her back.

She squirmed slightly as he got closer to her hips, and he smiled, wondering if she was ticklish.

He ran his hands up her back again, reluctant to stop touching her.

“I could fall asleep like this,” she murmured, relaxing into his touch.

He briefly kneaded her shoulders, enjoying her sigh of contentment. “Want me to tie your bikini top?” he asked, playing with the string with one hand.

“Go for it,” she said.

He tied the strings together, making sure it was secure, before he reluctantly stood. Bailey turned her head to gaze up at him.

“Oh my God!” Taylor suddenly shrieked.

Noah swung his head toward the stern to see Mason’s fishing line jumping.

“We caught something! We caught something!” Taylor shouted, jumping up and down.

“Really? Wow!” Bailey said, rising up from the chaise. She crossed the deck barefoot, brushing past Noah. He followed behind her, and they watched as Mason grinned, reeling it in.

“Whoo-hoo!” he whooped, holding up his large catch.

Bailey shrieked and jumped back as the fish bounced on the end of the hook, colliding against Noah’s chest.

He chuckled, snaring her around the waist, and pulling her against him. “Don’t worry, sunshine. I’ll keep you safe from fish and sharks.”

“Do you think there are sharks right here?”

“It’s the Atlantic Ocean. Of course there are sharks. I haven’t seen any swimming by our boat, but that is a danger when fishing. The fish are attracted to the bait—”

“And the sharks to the fish. Lovely.”

“Where have you gone fishing before?” he asked, releasing her from his grip.

“Mostly the rivers around Virginia Beach. And if we fished in the ocean, it was from the beach or out on the dock. We didn’t take a boat into the ocean like this.”

“Gotcha,” he said.

“This looks awesome,” Mason said, taking the hook out of the fish’s mouth. He opened a large cooler to put the fish inside.

Noah glanced down at his watch. “Eleven a.m. I think this calls for a beer.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Mason said with a chuckle.

Bailey crossed over to the other cooler where they’d stashed their food and drinks for the day. She pulled out two beers, handing them to him, then grabbed two cans of sparkling wine for herself and Taylor.

She grabbed the bottle opener and tossed it toward Noah, and he grabbed it out of the air. He popped the cap and took a long pull. “Fantastic.”

“I guess I should try my luck now,” Bailey said, taking a sip from her can and setting it down. His gaze was drawn to her pink lips—even out here on the boat, she had on that same glossy lipstick. Lip gloss. Whatever the hell it was women wore.

“Absolutely,” Mason said. “I rented enough equipment for all of us to fish. No sense in Noah and I having all the fun.”

“How’d you get this boat for the weekend anyway?” Bailey asked. “It’s pretty sweet. I thought you were just getting something small.”

“I know the guy who owns the boat rental place—an old buddy of mine. He hooked me up for a sweet deal.”

“It’s all in who you know,” Taylor commented. “Maybe I should make a friend who lives in Hawaii or something.”

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