Page 30 of SEAL Mates

“Go for both of them. You deserve it, with them two. Why do you think I wasn’t sitting with them,” Derek chuckled, and now it was all hitting home why he was away from them.

“But you all live together. Surely, they’re not like that all the time. Are they?”

He laughed, “No. Only when they’re nervous.”

“What are they so nervous about?”

I asked innocently..he said nothing as he picked up both types of bacon and walked away.

I had a big smile on my face. Until coming here I’d thought of myself as nothing but middle-aged, overweight and far from being attractive. But being with them, hearing Derek say it made me grin.

I decided that I would not only take the different types of bacon, eggs and a bit of salmon so I didn’t feel like a complete carnivore and then when it was over, I would treat myself to some muffins. I needed my energy especially as I’d decided before they’d officially asked me, that I would be moving in. It would only be for a week, but I intended to love every waking moment of it.

* * *

We all sat, looking at our plates, while we were eating, they’d managed to stop bickering and start talking to each other. I loved watching the interaction between them. It was nice, I’d been in a house with mom for too long I forgot what it was like to be in the company of men.

“So, is someone going to break the silence, because someone has a garage to run,” Blake blurted as his eyes darted around the table.

He turned to smile at me, seeing as no one was offering to continue the conversation in which Alec had begun last night.

“We think as in Alec, Derek and I.”

It was then that he realized there were others around, probably waiting for him to spit it out, so they could spread gossip. I turned to see that no one was interested, we really were apart from one family in the corner, the only one’s left in the hall.

“That instead of you paying for the hotel.”

He took in a deep breath, but I decided to fill in the blank.

“I didn’t pay. Greg did. He said he took it out of the program money.”

“Well, the program money can be saved if you lived with us and then you could interview us. When you like it.”

I crossed my arms under my chest as if I was in deep thought. Teasing them by acting as if it was a dilemma one I would have to sleep and think about.

“A lady needs her space, so we have a spare room, and it would only be for a week. So, it’s up to you. It’s just that we heard that no one’s really up for being interviewed,” Alec said as if he was doing me a favor. Which in hindsight he was, but I didn’t want them to think of it that way. Otherwise it wouldn’t be fun.

“I had a couple of emails this morning.”

“Really? From whom?” Derek pryed and I realized he’d seen straight through me. I wasn’t the best liar at the best of times.

Make up a name. Any name. Think. Shit, I was an author, this should be easy.

“Carl.”

There was always a Carl in one of the SEAL books I read and it was a popular name.

“Which one?” Derek asked as he grew closer to the table, and was sat opposite me.

“I’ve said too much. I shouldn’t really be revealing who is ready to be interviewed.”

“What, like a doctor, keeping patient doctor confidentiality?”

“Or like a lawyer,” Blake pipped in as if he was thinking about the subject which gave me a good excuse.

“I mean you guys wouldn’t like it if I interviewed you and then everyone knew it was you in the books.”

“It depends if you describe me as the green eyed hot SEAL. Damn, I wouldn’t mind. You could even use my real name.”

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