Page 27 of Stranded with a SEAL

She nodded, her green eyes looking frightened. Her hair was soaked, and she looked so fragile behind him that his chest clenched. She was holding up amazingly well for not being used to situations like this. Noah was used to spending hours in the water for training and missions. It was what he’d been trained to do. It was his job.

But Bailey?

She didn’t have the skill set that he did. Didn’t have practice enduring stressful situations out in the ocean. But he’d do whatever was necessary to ensure her safety. He hoped like hell the helicopters would search this way today, but if not?

They’d spend the night on the island.

They’d set up a shelter somewhere, and he’d hold her close. Keep her safe.

“I’m cold,” she said.

“I know. Just keep kicking your legs and hanging on to me. You’re doing an awesome job, and we’re almost there. You’ve hung on this long. We’ll be drying off on the sand soon and can have something to eat and drink.”

“I can do it,” she assured him. “Just a little farther.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, flashing her a grin.

His girl. She wasn’t his in any sense of the word. But watching her fall off the boat had sent his protective instincts soaring. He’d have rescued anyone, of course, but his blood had run cold at the fact that it’d been her.

“Oh my God, we’re getting so close!” she said a few minutes later. They were close enough to see the waves breaking on shore. “Do you think anyone’s on the island?”

“Hard to say,” he admitted. “It’s not inhabited by anyone, that’s for sure. But someone could’ve taken a fishing trip and stopped here or just gone exploring.”

“Maybe someone will come by on a boat!” she said excitedly.

“Hopefully so. The tide will start to bring us in from here. We just have to be careful of the undertow.”

She shuddered beside him, brushing her wet hair back. “The last thing I want is to be swept back out to sea.”

“Let’s do this,” he said.

A few minutes later, they were crawling onto the shore. Bailey collapsed in the sand, her wet clothes clinging to her like a second skin. She rolled over onto her back, sand covering her body. Noah briefly laid beside her, gripping his backpack as his gaze swept over her for any injuries.

His muscles burned from the exertion, but he could’ve kept going if needed. “Let’s get further up on the beach,” he said. “It looks like high tide right now, and we don’t want our supplies being swept back out to sea.”

Okay,” she agreed. Bailey stood up, stumbling, and Noah hauled her against him. She was wet and cold, but the sun would remedy both of those things now that they’d reached the island. His arm wrapped around her waist, and she leaned against him, exhausted.

“I’ve got you, sunshine. Let’s go up there, and you can rest.”

She took a timid step forward, and then they were closer to the tree line.

“Hello!” Noah shouted, his gaze scanning the empty beach. “Is anyone here? We fell overboard!”

He paused for a moment, listening. A few seagulls swooped through the air, the waves crashed on the shore, but there were no signs of any people.

Picking their way amongst the shells on the sand, Noah gestured to a spot ahead for them to rest.

“Let’s dry out our clothes,” he said. “The temperature will drop later on.”

He dropped his backpack to the ground, rooting around. “Is everything dry?” Bailey asked, shivering as she tugged off her hoodie. Her nipples pebbled against her hot pink bikini top, and then she was tugging down her denim shorts, standing there wearing only that skimpy string bikini.

She squeezed the water out of her hair and then wrung out her hoodie.

“I’ve got a spare sweatshirt or something,” he said. You can put it on.

She nodded, reaching out to him with shaking hands. He handed her the sweatshirt he’d pulled from his backpack. “Turn around, sunshine,” he said, nodding at her wet top. “I won’t look.”

She turned away from him, reaching back to untie the strings of her bikini top. It took everything in him not to walk over and help. Despite all they’d been through, he was still attracted as hell to her. Not that this was the appropriate time to be lusting after her.

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