Page 29 of Summer with a SEAL

“Yeah, seriously. I still can’t believe she randomly went swimming. I guess it’s easy to get caught in a riptide though if you don’t know what to watch out for. I’m going to head to the ladies’ room really quick before our table is ready,” she said, sliding down off the barstool.

“Sure thing, angel. I’ll be right here.”

Jessica walked through the crowded bar area on the patio to head back inside. The entire day felt a little surreal right now—Jacob randomly showing up at her beach house. The carnival. Kissing him in the hammock earlier. She felt a little bit like a teenager in high school all over again. Funny how she hadn’t felt a thrill like this in years, and they hadn’t even slept together—or come close for that matter.

Kissing in the hammock hadn’t been totally innocent though—not with their bodies pressed together like that.

She shivered, remembering the feel of Jacob pressed against her. She couldn’t even imagine all those muscles and strength moving over her as they made love. Of him inside of her, filling her up as she whimpered beneath him.

And goodness—Jacob had a perfect body. He was a Navy SEAL for crying out loud. What would he think of her less than perfect figure? She was in decent shape, jogging several mornings a week, but she wasn’t exactly a super model. He probably didn’t have an ounce of fat on him.

Exiting the bathroom a few minutes later, she saw a couple of women talking to Jacob at the bar when she walked back outside. He took a swig of his beer and chuckled, throwing his head back as he laughed at whatever the women were saying.

“Here she is,” Jacob said with his crooked grin as she walked over. He wrapped a muscular arm around her waist and pulled her close. “This is Jessica.”

The two women introduced themselves, one of them laughing as she kept batting her eyelashes at Jacob. Jessica grabbed her margarita from the bar and took a hesitant sip.

“You better watch out with this one,” the blonde woman teased, throwing another glance at Jacob. “We were all out on the beach one day and Jacob practically threw me into the ocean—he just picked me up like I weighed nothing at all.”

“You SEALs are so big and strong,” the other woman cooed. “How’s Ryker doing anyway? And Noah? I haven’t seen them around this week. We even stopped by Anchors the other night.”

“They’re good,” Jacob said. “Noah’s got a girlfriend now though, so he’s busy with her most of the time.”

“No worries,” the second woman said. “I had my eye on Ryker anyway.” She winked at Jacob and then turned away, casting Jessica a brief glance before walking off.

“See you around, sailor,” the blonde woman teased before turning and following after her friend.

Feeling uncomfortable, Jessica sat back down on the barstool. “Well, they seemed friendly,” she hedged.

Jacob took a swig of his beer. “The guys and I met them down on the beach last month. Don’t worry, angel. I told them I’m here with you. Women like that chase after any man in a uniform. If it wasn’t me, it’d be some other guy.”

“They keep looking over here,” she said, watching as they took seats a few barstools away from them.

“They’re harmless. They would’ve flirted with any military guy—women like that are a dime a dozen around here. Excuse me for a moment, angel. I’m gonna hit the head. Our table should be ready in a few minutes.”

Nodding, she watched as Jacob ambled away, turning his broad shoulders as he moved through the crowd. He was tall enough that he was easy to spot, and with his cropped military haircut and strapping physique, he garnered attention wherever he went.

“Hey,” the blonde she’d just met a few minutes ago said, sliding onto Jacob’s empty barstool. She took a sip of her white wine and leaned closer. “Are you guys really dating? I’m just asking because he doesn’t seem at all like the dating type if you know what I mean.”

Jessica frowned. “No, I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh,” the blonde said, taken aback. “Well, he’s just such a flirt. I didn’t think he’d be interested in seeing only one woman. Believe me, I’d know. I offered him my number back on the beach. He had his hands ALL over me that afternoon. That was only a few weeks ago, so…how quickly could a guy like that change, right?”

Jessica shifted on the barstool, feeling uncomfortable. The blonde was perfectly put together, whereas she’d been out at a carnival all afternoon. At the moment, she felt kind of like a frumpy mess compared to the other women. “I can’t really speak for Jacob,” she said with a shrug. “I just met him, too.”

“Oh, that explains it,” the blonde said. “I figured you couldn’t be his girlfriend or something.”

Jessica raised her eyebrows.

“He’s not really a one-woman kind of guy, you know? And with the way he was flirting with me a few weeks ago, I’d be shocked if he suddenly decided he wanted something serious. Excuse me, I need to get back to my friend.”

The blonde turned and walked away while Jessica looked after her, dumbfounded. The mini-skirt she had on barely covered her ass, and a few guys nearby turned to watch as she walked by. Jacob had acted like he wasn’t at all interested in the other women, but what did the blonde mean that his hands had been all over her?

She felt a tiny twinge of jealousy. Jacob’s hands had been on her, too—in the hammock, as they wandered around the carnival this afternoon. Even tonight it had seemed like he reached out and touched her at every opportunity.

Was he just a total flirt?

If she hadn’t run into him on the beach a week ago, surely he would’ve found some other woman. What made her think there was anything special about her?

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