Page 36 of My Grumpy SEAL

He grips my facein his palm. “Bella, I want to give us a try. You are the best thing that has happened to me in years.”

He dips his head and captures mylips in a passionate kiss. Theshock makes me breathless. Unlike before, this kiss is slow and I savor every moment.

He pulls back and looks at me with so much adoration. “Please don’t leave me. I would lose my mind.”

CHAPTER16

JAKE

Iraise a brow. “Is something wrong?”

She takes a deep breath. “I thought about it and you are right. There is nothing going on between us and nothing should happen between us. So this is me taking matters into my own hands.” She walks up to my table and drops the paper. “That’s my resignation letter. This isn’t going to be Daxton all over again.”

I silently stare at her as she turns around and leaves. She is leaving me and I can’t do anything about it.Can’t do or won’t do?

Exclaiming in frustration, I run after her. I check her office, but she isn’t there, so I rush to the entrance of the resort. She couldn’t have gotten that far. I call her, but it goes straight to voicemail.

“Bella, don’t leave me. I’m coming for you.” I hop into my car and race to her apartment. Thanks to the employeefile, I know her address and I don’t have to spend time looking for her door. But when I get there, the door is locked and no one answers.Where could she have possibly gone?

I drive around town, but I am still unable to findher. I reluctantly give up after a while of driving and calling without any result. I return to the resort, defeated.

Feeling forlorn, I walk towards the beach. As I get close, I hear yelling and pick up my pace.Reliefand curiosity flood me. Relief at the fact that I found Bella, and curiosity at her choice of words.

“Fuck you, Jake! Fuck you, Daxton! Screw you all! I am more than enough you fuckers. Y’all are just too blind to see it and as a matter of fact not worthy enough!”

I raise my brow. Is she this broken over me? The thought makes me uncomfortable and angry. And since she is the only one present, I take it out on her.

“That is not how you speak about your boss,” I growl behind her.

“Fortunately, I quit a few minutes ago,” she snaps back at me, “And now I can happily say fuck you, Jake! You are an asshole with a heart as hard as stone and I hope you never find someone better than me!”

I cannot find someone better because I pick you.But I don’t say that. Instead, I stalk towards herandplace myself directly in front of her.Dirty thoughts on how to punish her ring through my mind and I have to look away or I might act on them.

“One, you cannot quit without a proper notice, Miss Ortiz. Two, you are in the middle of organizing an event and cannot abandon an unfinished project. These were all stated as your terms of working in your employment letter, but if you insist on leaving then we will meet in court.”Her eyes blaze at the threat.

“Fuck you, Jake!” She hits my chest and I don’t stop her till she is out of breath. Herhead falls on mychest from exhaustion as she silently sniffles.

My hand slowly comes around her and I startrubbing soothing circles on her back. “Your constant change of mood is giving me whiplash,” she says and I chuckle.

“I intend to act on my threat, Miss Ortiz, but not for the reason you think.” I lift her chin and look into her eyes, my anger immediately fades away. “I want you by my side at all times and will absolutely lose it if you leave me,”I say without hesitation.

She frowns. “I thought you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

“I’m scared, Bella. I’m scared of getting hurt again. But I’m more scared of losing you.”I can feel reason banging against my words in my head but I’m past being logical. Logic won’t get me through my nights of regrets.

“What are you saying,Jake?” She raises her brow at me.

I grip her face in my palm. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. “Bella, I love you. You are the best thing that has happened to me in years.”I emphasize every word before kissing her. Slowly, I savor her taste. Telling her with my actions what my words cannot express. She moans into my mouth and I grip her tighter, deepening the kiss.

I pull back so I can look at her. “Please don’t leave me. I would lose my mind.”

* * *

I stareat my watch for the umpteenth time and groan. Where is she?

I am waitingfor Bella, my girlfriend. The thought of it brings a smile to my face. I thought I was too old for a girlfriend.

We have been dating for only a week now, but it has been the happiest week of my life. I felt it best to keep our relationship under wraps so as to avoid office gossip and though she does not fully accept it, she agreed to it. Besides, we are still in the honeymoon phase and I want to enjoy it to the fullest.

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