Page 20 of Summer with a SEAL

“The north end,” Jessica said.

“We’ve got an amazing beach house there,” Michelle told him. “Amazing. Like, it’s totally to die for. We’re here for the whole summer.”

Jessica elbowed her in the side, exchanging a glance with Amy. “How many margaritas did you have?” she asked.

“Just two. Plus those two shots of fireball.”

“When did you do shots?” Jessica asked in disbelief.

Michelle grinned. “When you two were in the bathroom. I may have had a bit too much—possibly. Which is why it’s good we’re taking a cab,” she said, laughing hysterically.

Jessica shook her head, giving the cabbie their address. “God, remind me to keep an eye on her the next time we go out,” she told Amy.

Michelle slumped into her seat, pouting. “It’s not like I nearly drowned in the ocean like some people I know.”

The cab driver glanced at them in the rear-view mirror, raising his eyebrows. “You nearly drowned?”

“That would be me,” Amy admitted. “I got caught in a riptide yesterday and couldn’t swim back.”

“Some Navy SEALs rescued her,” Michelle said. “And then I fucked—”

“Enough,” Jessica interrupted, putting a hand over Michelle’s mouth. “Some of our friends rescued her.”

The cab driver let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “You gotta be careful around here. The ocean can be dangerous.”

“Yep,” Amy muttered. “We will be.”

“Let’s go skinny dipping when we get back!” Michelle said. “And have a bonfire on the beach again.” She yawned, leaning back into her seat. “Maybe I’ll just rest a bit first.”

“Yes,” Jessica agreed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “Rest.”

She and Amy talked quietly as the cab moved along Atlantic Avenue, and then her mind drifted as she caught sight of the moon rising in the sky. She caught a few glimpses of it gleaming off the ocean between hotels, and her heart caught. Jacob could be all the way on the other side of the world for all she knew—off fighting somewhere dangerous or saving someone like he’d helped Amy the other night. If he looked up, he could see the same sun and moon in the sky though. The same stars. It was funny how the world felt so big and so small at the same time.

Chapter 8

Jacob turned and walked a few steps toward the low building in Kabul, sand and dust kicking up on his combat boots. It was hotter than hell in the desert—a dry kind of heat that made his skin crawl. He longed for the salty ocean breezes back home in Virginia Beach.

Funny that anyone would ever miss that kind of humidity.

“Any updates?” he asked in a clipped tone, his gaze scanning the room as Hunter and Ryker walked up to the rest of them.

“Negative,” Ryker said as he stopped beside them holding his weapon. He grabbed his canteen and chugged some water, adjusting the strap of his helmet.

“Fuck,” Jacob muttered. “They fly us halfway around the world for goddamn wrong intel?”

“That’s Washington for you,” Noah said with a smirk.

The rest of the men gathered around as Hunter gestured for them to come over. “You know as much as I do. The latest SITREP indicated the terrorist group is holding someone else hostage,” Hunter said, his voice gruff. “The missing American official’s whereabouts are currently unknown. We’ll rescue whoever the terror cell is holding and take the kidnappers in. The U.S. government can question them and deal with the aftermath.”

“And the woman?” Mason asked, a frown on his face.

“Might end up being another op,” Hunter said, looking around at each of the men. “If we don’t know her whereabouts, we can’t stage a rescue operation.”

“Jesus Christ,” Colton said, swiping his brow. “Is the Alpha team still moving in to nab the leader?”

“Affirmative. They’re in the air now. The cell we’ve been watching hasn’t left yet for his location as we originally believed would happen.”

“Probably because the woman’s with someone else,” Noah said.

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