Page 7 of Falling For His Badass

“B.A!”

Looking up, I wave at Jeff. “Yo, J.C!”

Jeff is leaning over the patio railing. “I’ll be waiting for your update.”

“Looking forward to it. It was a good mission.”

Entering the lobby with the crowd from the lawyer’s convention, I scan the area for Lizzy, and see her walking into the elevator with a group of men. Again, my gut tightens when the doors close and she’s out of my sight. Knowing she’s alone with them, only adds to my tension. Until I can secure a date, she’s at risk.

As soon as I step up to the counter to check in, I’m greeted by the hotel manager. She asks, “Are you Brody Andrews?”

“Yes, I am.”

She smiles as she walks over to the computer and bends down to type in my name. “Jeff said to enjoy yourself. You’ve earned some R&R.” She gives me a room key and a VIP card. “Your ticket to the dinner show is waiting for you. Just tell the hostess your name, and she’ll show you to your seat.”

“Thanks.” I tell her, then turn for the elevator. There’s a crowd of people waiting, so I hit the stairs taking them three at a time. When I enter the hallway, I catch a glimpse of Lizzy rounding the first corner. Taking long strides to catch up, hoping to meet her before she goes into her room. I want her mind fixated on the man in the room next door while she gets ready for the evening. When I round the corner, she steps through the door. The heavy sound of the door closing echoes down the empty corridor.

Damn. Nothing to do now but wait for her to go down to the show. I check the time. There is only 30 minutes left. Going into my room, I toss my rucksack on the bed, then stretch out to nap.

…

The bang of a heavy door closing wakes me.

Lizzy! She’s on the move.

At the entranceto the restaurant, I confirm my reservation with the hostess, then follow her to the table in the middle of the club. There are two couples already seated, so I take one of the two empty seats and introduce myself.

“Hi, I’m Lizzy.”

“Hi Lizzy, I’m Karolina, this is my husband, Frank, my friend Debbie and her husband, Jay.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The cocktail waitress stops by and I order a Sangria Margarita. When I turn my attention back, the four friends are talking about work and how the boss treats the women so unfairly. I listen politely for a few minutes, then decide to visit the ladies’ room before the show starts. As I stand, I ask for directions. “Excuse me, which way is the ladies’ room?”

Debbie glances my way, points behind me, then the friends start to laugh at something Karolina was saying. When I turn to take a step in the direction Debbie indicated, I crash into a wall that utters "Oomph!" And I'm knocked off balance. Before I can take a step to keep from falling backwards onto the table, a pair of warm, strong hands grasps my arms and easily gains control of my whole body, gently guiding me down into my chair while a deep, beautiful tone apologizes. "Excuse me. I thought you were sitting down, not leaving."

I stare up at the wall, dumbfounded, and the wall stares back, amused. Solid. Hard. Massive. Handsome as hell. Scary as fuck. My breath vanishes, my heart races, and my entire body begins to tingle.

"Are you okay?" The beautiful deep tone asks.

I close my eyes and nod unable to speak. He’s too hot to handle.

” Did I knock the breath out of you?" He asks concerned. His words caress my mind, while his hands softly, seductively, caress my shoulders.

Physically unable to answer, I simply shake my head. He squats down in front of me to get a closer look. His musk is overwhelming, intoxicating, all man, and I feel lightheaded. His fingers firmly squeeze my shoulders, while his thumbs softly stroke my skin. The tingling created by his touch is electric. Then he asks so softly only I can hear him. “Are you sure, you’re okay?”

I can feel his eyes searching my face, analyzing my response, and my eyes can’t resist. I look into his. They are a deep shade of green, framed by long dark lashes, and my mouth literally waters. I blush furiously under his scrutiny, but I manage to whisper, “I’m fine."

The wall smiles and I melt completely.

* * *

Christ.She’s more gorgeous than I thought. Her eyes, her smile, her shyness. Being a Navy SEAL, I’m trained to control my response in any situation, but it’s damn hard right now playing it cool with her. That dress is sexy as fuck and my cock is rock hard. But I saw fear flash in her eyes, and until I can identify why, I have to play it cool. I don’t want to ruin any chance I might have by being too aggressive.

The lights dim as the show begins. A waitress arrives carrying a drink. As I rise, her eyes grow bigger and bigger until I’m towering over her. I see the familiar look of appreciation on her face, as I take the drink from her. “Bring me a Michelob and put this one on my tab.” She nods and walks away.

I turn to Lizzy, lean down as I hand her the drink, and whisper, “Least I can do to apologize is buy your drink. I’m B.A. by the way.”

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