Hot SEAL, Australian Nights
Hot SEAL, Australian Nights
SEALs in Paradise
Becca Jameson
Copyright © 2019 by Becca Jameson
eBook ISBN: 978-1-946911-63-6
Print ISBN: 978-1-946911-64-3
Cover Artist: Elle James
Editor: Christa Soule
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. And resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Acknowledgments
About the Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Also by Becca Jameson
About the Author
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my daughter and my husband for reading through this book to make sure I didn’t mess up any of the events in Australia! You guys rock! My memory isn’t nearly as reliable as theirs. Sigh…
Thanks to my editor, Christa, for working hard up to the last minute. And wow, my proofreader, Allison, who stayed up super late to get this done in time for me! I don’t usually operate so close to a deadline, but this book got away from me. I have the most amazing team. You guys are the best.
About the Book
He’s a SEAL married to the team.
She’s his teammate’s little sister, all grown up.
He’s on the vacation of a lifetime.
She’s playing tour guide.
He’s everything she remembers and way more.
She’s no longer a gangly teenager.
He doesn’t ever want to get attached to a woman.
She doesn’t date military men.
How can they hook up and then walk away?
How can they not?
Everything about this no-strings attached arrangement should be easy.
Except the part where they have to guard their hearts.
Hot SEAL, Australian Nights is part of the SEALs in Paradise series. Each book stands alone, and they can be read in any order.
Chapter 1
Justus Kirkland was exhausted when he stepped into the hotel in Sydney. Jet lag was going to kill him one of these days. Considering how many years he’d been with the SEALs, one would think he’d have overcome his inability to orient when he landed, but it had never happened.
Nope. While most people glancing at Justus saw a large, manly man with enormous muscles, tattoos, and an obvious military haircut, inside he was exhausted, had a fierce headache, and felt nauseous from all the time-zone hopping.
The flight from LAX had been fifteen hours long. It had also been packed, so though he’d flown through the night, he had not gotten more than a few hours’ sleep, and those few hours hadn’t been sequential.
He checked into his room, gladly handed his suitcase over to the bellman, and then reluctantly turned toward the guest services desk. What he wanted to do was sleep. However, he’d promised his best friend and fellow SEAL, Tony, he would touch base with the man’s sister first thing.
Arianna Gallo. She was expecting him. He hadn’t seen her in several years, and he wasn’t looking forward to it today either. Not just because he was tired, but because he’d managed to get roped into letting her plan his itinerary.
Justus needed this vacation. He’d been on assignment in Djibouti with the SEAL team for six months. He was mentally exhausted from the stress and looking forward to ten days of leave. And here he was being forced to let his best friend’s sister play tour guide when all he wanted was to be left alone to relax.
Justus hadn’t thought about Arianna in years. He actually hadn’t thought much about her in general. She was simply Tony’s gangly little sister, younger than him by four years. When Justus and Tony graduated high school and joined the navy, Arianna had been fourteen years old.
He’d seen her briefly several times in the following years, but his mind remembered a slender young girl who’d grown tall for her age but hadn’t filled out yet. She’d had wild, curly, unruly hair and giggled a lot. He hadn’t crossed paths with her in the last few years because she’d been at college, and somehow his leave never coincided with her breaks.
Justus hadn’t known Arianna was even in Australia until he’d mentioned his travel plans to Tony. Tony, being the overprotective Italian brother he was, implored Justus to check up on his little sister and make sure she was okay.
That might have been fine, but Tony took it a step further and had emailed Arianna to inform her Justus would be arriving. And Justus’s entire vacation plans snowballed out of control from there. He’d gotten a lengthy email from Arianna hours later informing him she had basically hijacked his vacation and would ensure he had the trip of a lifetime.
Justus nearly groaned out loud as he wandered toward the guest services desk. An attractive woman with thick, smooth hair that reached the middle of her back was standing behind the desk, her gaze locked on the computer, her hand on the mouse. If only this woman were the one who’d taken over his vacation.
“Excuse me,” Justus began. “I’m looking for Arianna Gallo. She’s supposed to meet me here this morning.”
The woman lifted her gaze. For a heartbeat, she simply stared at him, and then a slow smile spread across her face as her cheeks flushed. “You’re here.”
He frowned at her, thinking that was the oddest thing to say. Had Arianna described him to her coworkers? Great.
When she circled the small podium, stepped into his space, and wrapped her arms around him, he stopped breathing. What the hell? His arms hung awkwardly at his sides while she squeezed him, her head under his chin. Two things stood out immediately—her hair smelled amazing, like vanilla and raspberry, and her ample breasts pressed against his chest.
After several moments, she leaned back a few inches, tipping her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were dancing with laugher, and she was smiling even wider. She slid a hand around to pat his chest. “You don’t recognize me.”
He stared into her deep, brown eyes, absorbing the olive coloring of her skin and her high cheekbones before he blinked and opened his eyes wider. “Arianna?” Holy shit.
She laughed, a mid-range pitch that spread through his body and settled in his cock. The last thing he needed was to have her pressed against his growing erection. Jesus. So, he grabbed her waist and forced some space between their bodies.
She tipped her head to one side. “I’ve probably changed a bit since the last time you saw me.”
You think? He swallowed. “Understatement.” He released her waist with one hand and reached for her hair, running his fingers through it before he could stop himself. “What happened to the curls?”
She laughed again, all that thick hair swaying as she shoved off his chest and put a bit more distance between them. “Straighteners and products. I’m not a kid anymore.”
“I see that,” he murmured before he could stop himself. His ga
ze dipped to travel down her body. The gangly, flat-chested girl he remembered now had boobs and curves. She wore a white blouse he could see through enough to notice a white lace bra. Forcing his gaze lower, he took in her navy pencil skirt that hit above her knees. Long, olive-skinned legs. Navy pumps.
He yanked his gaze back to her hair as she turned around and stepped behind the small desk. She picked up a piece of paper and lifted her eyes. Her face was flushed, and she licked her lips. “I printed your itinerary in case you didn’t.”
He nodded, unable to respond. How the hell was this sexy, grown woman Tony’s baby sister?
She kept speaking. “I figured you would need to sleep for a while this morning, so I didn’t plan anything until this afternoon. You want to meet me at two o’clock?”
For another moment, he simply stared at her, not fully soaking in her words. Maybe fatigue was the cause, but he suspected shock had a lot more to do with it.
“You’re exhausted, aren’t you?” she asked, her eyes narrowing. “Did you get your room key?”
He held it up. “Yep.”
“Why don’t you go lie down for a while, then?” she suggested.
His feet wouldn’t move. Finally, he shook himself out of the weird stupor and nodded. “Good plan. Two, you say?”
“Yes. I’ll come to your room if you want? What number is it?”
He glanced at the number scribbled on the outside of his key sleeve. “1520.”
“Got it. I’ll just meet you there.” She pointed across the lobby. “The elevators are right over there. I’m sure someone will bring your luggage up shortly if they haven’t already.”
He scanned her face again, trying to reconcile this adult woman with the girl he’d known. It had been ridiculous of him to think she would look like she had as a teenager, but he honestly hadn’t conjured up any other image.
He cleared his throat. “Sounds good. I’ll see you in a few hours, then.” Somehow he managed to turn around and head for the elevators.
When he got to his room, his luggage had indeed beat him. He didn’t need anything in it, however. He needed sleep. So, he kicked off his shoes, tugged back the white comforter on the king-sized bed, and nearly face-planted onto the cool sheets.
His mind was still reeling over the image of Arianna Gallo. A woman. An attractive one with a sexy voice and a killer body. Tony’s sister. Off limits. He closed his eyes, willed her image out of his mind, and fell asleep quickly.
Chapter 2
Arianna stood outside Justus’s room that afternoon with her hand lifted to knock. She hesitated, lowered her hand, and took a deep breath. This was Justus Kirkland, the man she’d pined over as a teenager, thinking he was the sexiest person she’d ever seen in her life.
She’d spent countless hours fantasizing what it would be like to kiss him. What his lips would feel like against hers. His hard body pressing her against a wall. Or a door. Or a bed.
She closed her eyes and inhaled again. The muscular body she remembered from her freshman year of high school when he and Tony had left for basic training had taken her breath away on a number of occasions. She’d assumed her mind had exaggerated the visual over the years. But she’d been wrong. The man who’d approached her that morning had been even larger, buffer, and sexier.
Damn. She was in so much trouble.
When Tony had emailed her asking her to meet up with Justus and help him get the lay of the land, she’d known immediately his real motive had been to have Justus check up on her. She’d also known immediately that her real motive would be to spend some time with her brother’s hunky friend. She doubted Tony had any idea his little sister had lusted after his best friend so many years ago, nor that she might jump at this opportunity to see if the sparks still existed. At least for her.
So far, the answer was yes. Not just sparks, but flames that reached higher than she’d expected. It had taken every ounce of energy she had to speak to him without stammering that morning. Meanwhile, Justus had seemed stunned and shell-shocked. Although, he’d probably simply been too tired to make conversation.
She hadn’t missed the way he looked up and down her body, though. The way his gaze lingered on her chest and then her hips and then her legs. The way he swallowed as he jerked his gaze back to her face.
It had probably been a bad idea to take time off work in order to play tour guide for this man. For one thing, she’d done so without consulting him. For another thing, what had originally seemed like a harmless plan to flirt with and drool over a hot man was probably going to bite her in the ass.
Yeah, he was sex on a stick, but she’d visualized a fun diversion, not a panty-melting body slam. After only five minutes in his company, she realized she could fall for him, which was totally against her personal policy. I do not date military men. Ever.
Taking yet another breath, she squared her shoulders and knocked. She waited a few moments, hearing nothing from the other side of the door, and then she knocked again, harder.
There was a shuffling noise this time, and finally the door opened. A very rumpled Justus ran a hand through his hair and then rubbed his eyes. “Shit. Is it already two?”
“Yep. I’m so sorry. You were asleep.” Obviously. She took a step back. “I woke you. If you want to go back to sleep…”
He held the door wider, shaking his head. “No. I’m going to be totally fucked up as it is. I should have set my alarm. Come in.”
She ducked under his arm and made her way into the room. His suitcase stood next to the wall and the only evidence anyone had been in the room at all was the messy comforter.
She turned around when she reached the desk. Justus was wearing the same clothes as that morning, having only kicked off his shoes at some point. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, cringing. She slid off her jacket and purse and set them on the desk.
“It’s fine. I can’t believe I slept that hard or that long. I don’t think I have in months. Probably longer.”
She nodded, biting her lower lip. She understood all too well. With two older brothers in the military, she knew better than most how little sleep enlisted men got.
“I don’t think I thanked you properly for planning and arranging everything for me. I certainly didn’t have time to do so myself.”
“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure. It’s what I love to do. I can make a dollar stretch a very long way.” Now would be a super good moment to tell him you made duplicate plans for yourself. Instead, she smiled at him.
Justus heaved his suitcase onto the bed. He unzipped it and flipped it open. “I’ll just take a quick shower if you don’t mind.” He glanced at her and then narrowed his gaze. “Assuming you meant to show me around a bit this afternoon. I don’t mean to interrupt any plans you have. I can manage on my own.”
She shook her head. “No. Of course not. I’m all yours.” She pulled out the desk chair and lowered onto it, crossing her legs. It took effort not to fidget or swing her top leg as she watched him move.
His jeans hung low on his hips, and the SEAL T-shirt he wore stretched across his chest in a way that left nothing to the imagination. She’d felt all that muscle against her cheek when she’d hugged him that morning. Power. Dominance. Confidence. She’d imagined him in many scenarios over the years, but their morning reunion had left her thinking she’d underestimated him. He was more than her daydreams had conjured.
Every muscle in his arms flexed as he grabbed a toiletry bag from his suitcase. “Do you work later today?”
She swallowed. “No.” Now. Arianna. Tell him. She had no idea how he was going to react when he found out she’d taken time off to spend with him? Maybe she should wait. It had been too easy since he’d taken Tony’s word for it that she was a great vacation planner. He’d given her a budget and then emailed her all his personal information and the necessary funds to make arrangements for him. She’d saved for nine months and had plenty of spending money to join him.
“Okay, I’ll be quick.” He pointed
over his shoulder and then backed toward the bathroom. If his hair had been longer, it would be messy, but he had a very short military cut. The only thing scruffy about him was the two-day-old beard growth from traveling. She half hoped he would leave it. The other half of her wondered what he looked like clean-shaven these days.
Seconds after the bathroom door snicked shut, the water was on. Arianna glanced down at herself, wondering how he saw her. Earlier she’d been totally professional. She’d since changed. Now, she wore her best tight jeans she knew accentuated her ass perfectly. She also had on a thin, white sweater that hugged her chest in a way that made men’s heads turn. White tennis shoes rounded out the outfit.
She’d aimed for comfortable but flirty. She had no idea if Justus had even noticed yet. He’d made very little eye contact with her. Then again, he’d been half-asleep.
Nerves attacked her, making her heart race and her palms sweat. The room smelled like Justus already, even though he’d done nothing but sleep in there for a few hours. His scent had changed since she’d been barely more than a child. The underlying scent was still all Justus, but he’d changed his deodorant or aftershave or something. She liked it.
A glance at his open suitcase made her smile. Everything was professionally packed. She shouldn’t be surprised. Her brothers always came home with bags that looked like that, a result of years of ingrained military training. She wondered if Justus’s need to be precise extended to every aspect of his life on vacation or not. She would soon find out.