Page 37 of Summer with a SEAL

“You’re welcome to come hang out with us here on your days off,” Jessica said. “Your apartment is close by, right?”

“Yeah, not too far. Nowhere near as nice as this place though.”

Jessica pulled out of Jacob’s embrace and walked over to the table to pour herself a margarita. “We’re just renting it for the summer. It’s not like I could afford this rent year-round. We’ve got Michelle’s parents to thank, really.”

Ryker flipped the burgers on the grill, grabbing his beer from the railing of the deck and taking a long pull. “It sounds like you have some cool parents,” he said with a low chuckle. “I can’t say mine ever rented me a beach house for summer—not that the Navy would give me a few months off.”

Michelle tossed her hair over her shoulder, taking a sip of her margarita. “They’re both doctors and can afford it. I think they were disappointed I became a high school teacher. They seemed to think I’d follow right in their footsteps.”

“What do you teach?” Jacob asked, grabbing another beer as he stood next to Jessica. He’d showered and changed after their afternoon at the beach, and she detected the faint hint of cologne mixed in with his soap.

Briefly, she remembered their little bet from earlier. Would they even make it to play putt-putt tonight? She wanted him to stay over, she realized. Even if nothing happened between them, she wanted his arms around her tonight and to wake up beside him in the morning.

She was never one to rush into things in relationships, but she was comfortable with Jacob.

Like any red-blooded male, she was sure he wouldn’t turn down sex, but she was also confident that he’d be content to go at her pace. And wasn’t that quite a change from the types of men she usually dated.

Maybe it was because he was older than her? At twenty-five, she usually dated guys around her own age. Jacob happened to be nearly a decade older, but he didn’t act it. He was playful and fun yet serious about his career. Dedicated to the Navy. And he seemed more than happy to let her set the pace—and to tell her exactly how he felt about her.

There were no games with Jacob. He was interested in her, and it showed. She flushed, recalling his attention from earlier. She couldn’t believe he’d made her come as her lifted her up and down his cock in the middle of the ocean. There was something thrilling and exciting about being with him—yet he always made her also feel safe. Secure.

“No kidding, you teach art?” Jacob asked, and she realized she’d missed part of the conversation.

“Yeah. I’m the opposite of my parents in that way I guess,” Michelle said. “They’re very rigid in their schedules and dedicated to their careers. I’m a total free-spirit.” She shrugged, walking across the deck to stand beside Ryker. He slung his arm around her shoulders and took another swig of his beer.

“The burgers are just about ready,” he said.

“I’ll go grab the sides,” Jessica offered. “Amy, want to come with?”

“Sure thing,” Amy said, following her inside. “So what’s up?” she asked after they’d closed the sliding glass door, leaving the rest of the group out on the deck. “You seemed deep in thought there for a minute.”

Jessica pulled open the fridge and began pulling things out. “I like him,” she admitted.

Amy laughed, grabbing plates from the cupboard. “Yeah, I figured that. He likes you, too. I noticed he can’t keep his hands off of you. Not in a bad way,” she hastily added. “He just always seems to want to have his arms around you and hold you close.”

“That’s just the problem,” Jessica said. “I shouldn’t start developing any feelings for him. We’re leaving at the end of the summer. I mean, I figured we’d go out on a few dates and have fun. See each other while I’m here. I wasn’t planning to fall for the guy.”

“He doesn’t look too upset about it either,” Amy said. “Have you guys talked?”

“What? About us? No way. I mean we barely just started dating. Yeah, I guess we’ve had a couple of super long dates—we spent all afternoon together earlier this week, you know with the carnival and dinner. And today we’ve constantly been together. But….”

“But what? Enjoy. I’d love to meet an amazing guy. And the fact that he’s smoking hot doesn’t exactly hurt either.”

“Yeah. It’s just that Michelle wanted to have a fun little summer romance. She and Ryker are totally on the same page. I’m not really like that, you know? I can’t sleep with a guy and have it mean nothing.”

“Who said it has to be a fling?” Amy asked, carrying her stack of plates across the kitchen. “You can have it be whatever you want it to.”

“Me. I did. Because I live five hours away from here.”

“So. You have a car. Jacob does, too. Drive to see each other on weekends. Meet in the middle. Talk to him on the phone every night. I don’t know. If you want to make it work out, you can.”

Jessica blew out a sigh, following Amy back toward the doors. “It’s too early to even think about that sort of thing. I mean, we could get tired of each other next month or something. Have a big fight next week. And then I’ve been worrying about nothing.”

“You only live once,” Amy countered. “If you see something you want, go for it.”

***

Jacob helped clear the rest of the things off the deck a few hours later, following the others inside to the kitchen. It had been a hell of a night—grilled burgers, drinks, and an attempt to teach the ladies how to play poker.

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