Page 44 of Summer with a SEAL

“Jess, hey Jess!” a deep voice shouted, and she felt Jacob’s presence as he ran up behind her. Taking a shaky breath, she turned, and her heart clenched as she saw the look of surprise cross his face.

“What’s wrong, angel? Why’d you leave?”

He gazed down at her with concern in his brown eyes, and she looked at him in surprise. Did he really not know? “I saw you with that blonde woman.”

Jacob crinkled his eyes in confusion. “Are you talking about Lily? She’s a masseuse. I saw her last year when I threw my back out. She came over to say hi to me and the guys.”

“But she was here with you.”

“She was there with some of her girlfriends. Noah was seeing her last year—strictly for massages—and recommended her to me. I made a few appointments with her until I was as good as new.”

Jessica stared at him in disbelief, her mouth open in surprise. “But she was running her hand over your head. Touching you. She kissed you!”

“Sweetheart,” Jacob said, reaching out to her.

“I just—I feel like I can’t trust you. You didn’t tell her to stop. I mean, what if I hadn’t been there? Would something else have happened?”

“I did tell her to stop. Angel, she’s a flirt. And a masseuse—when I threw my back out, she gave me a deep-tissue massage. There was absolutely nothing more to it than that, and it was an entire year ago. I told her I have a girlfriend now the second she kissed me—ask the other guys. And it was a quick peck on the cheek. As soon as she did it, I told her I was seeing you.”

“Jacob—I just—”

Tears filled her eyes again, and she took another shaky breath. “Look, you know what? When I saw you with her, it made me think. This just isn’t going to work out anyway. I’m leaving at the end of the summer and then—what? We’ll just break up then? It’s better to just end things now.”

“End things now? Is this because of tonight?” he asked, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “I told her right away that I’m not single. And if you’re having second thoughts because of this past weekend together, I promise you there’s no pressure. I don’t need to spend the night if it’s too much, too soon. We’ll take things slowly.”

“No, I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of days. It’s not just what happened tonight—it’s everything. It’s just going to hurt even more to break up later. Why prolong the inevitable?”

“Damn it, Jess,” he said, looking frustrated. “You’re going to throw us away because of what might happen in a couple of months? Don’t give up on us so easily.”

“I just—can’t,” she said, fresh tears falling. “It hurt when I saw you with her now. Even if it really did mean nothing, it made me realize it will hurt even more if I let things continue between us. I’ll go back to Blacksburg, and you’ll just end up with some other woman.”

“Hell, angel, don’t cry,” he murmured, taking a step closer to her.

“I should go.”

“Now? Didn’t you come here with your friends? You can’t walk the entire way home. It’s like twenty blocks until the end of the boardwalk. And then you still have to walk all the way to your house along the beach. At least let me give you a ride. We can talk.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, her voice shaking.

“Please,” he said, his voice gruff. “I’m sorry that you’re upset. Let me at least take you home. We should talk about this.”

“Jacob,” she pleaded.

Michelle and Amy came hurrying over to her, worried looks on both of their faces. “Jess, are you okay?” Michelle asked. “Ryker said they all know that chick and that she’s a big flirt. And Jacob told her about you—she just kept flirting with him anyway.”

“I just want to leave,” Jessica said. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay,” Amy agreed quickly, casting a quick glance at Jacob. “Let’s go.”

“Don’t do this, angel,” he said, his voice gruff. “Let’s at least talk about it. I’ll give you a ride, and we can work things out.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, fresh tears beginning to fall.

She turned, letting Amy wrap her arm around her shoulders, and then they were leaving. Walking away with Jacob standing there on the boardwalk, looking like she’d just broken his heart.

Chapter 19

Jacob muttered a curse as he walked into the bullpen the following morning, ready for a briefing from their commander. He clenched his fists before yanking out a chair from the table.

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