A SEAL at Heart by Anne Elizabeth Read Free Book Online Page A

two evils. Now you have an appointment with a woman who you’d enjoy having in your arms again, but have no explanation for why you made such an ass of yourself. What next?” Jack followed the flow of traffic toward the bridge, letting his instincts lead him. The optimal action would be to go for a run, and that was precisely what he would do.
    ***
    Amphibious Base, Coronado, California
    Jack placed his military ID in a clear plastic arm holder and strapped it to his bicep, then tucked the keys under the front seat. He never worried about the car when it was parked on the base. He actually almost dared someone to take it.
    Since his Jeep was surrounded by other cars better looking and more expensive than his, it was doubtful anything would happen. Outsiders didn’t have the balls to park here. This small fenced-in area was for his kind and their families. It afforded the military beachgoers an easy walk to the ocean or, for the men, a straight shot to the poles and climbing rope.
    Today, he wanted nothing more than to sweat. This was the best therapy he knew. Working out, taking his body to the max, made all the demons go away.
    Knowing his own limits had been a valuable lesson to learn during Hell Week, and since then he’d gotten even stronger. He could run twenty-five miles and then some with a full pack or carrying a body. Hefting them both at the same time was challenging, but he’d done that, too.
    What he craved now was working not only his physical body but also his mind, setting them up to conquer the obstacle of his memory block. But how did he break that hard shell?
    Without missing a beat, he pulled a warm Propel from his glove compartment and downed it in several gulps, then tossed the empty sports-drink bottle into the recycle bin. His feet knew where to take him. Having made this run thousands of times—it was definitely one of his favorites—he set off in the direction of the sand and waves.
    The light jog along the path to the water felt good.
    “Hooyah!” The shouts came his way from trainees. He nodded. Then he was on the hard-packed sand of the beach. The waves were crashing on the shore and he could see the tide pushing out to sea. He opened up his stride and was soon leaving the base—Gator Beach—and heading onto civilian sand. Picking up speed, he stayed on the hard-packed sand of the beach as he passed the Coronado Shores and felt the familiar comfort of steps he knew by heart.
    The wind smacked his face as he breathed in the fresh salty air. Exhilaration flooded his system and almost too soon he reached the rocks. He scrambled over them and veered toward the trampled sand in front of the Hotel del Coronado, which was busy with a fancy event, probably a wedding. Then his attention was back on the run—the chopped-up sand, the frothy water, and the thump of his heart as he dug inside and ran harder.
    The world tuned out as his mind opened up, letting the air in and the issues out. This was how his mind worked, putting his body through the paces and allowing his concerns to unfold naturally. Solutions always came to him this way and he knew if he kept going that something would reveal itself as a clue.
    The image of Laurie popped into his mind. The idea of her being a setup didn’t sit well in his gut. She was too clean-cut for that, like a boat whose sails were just unfurled—too free and unfettered. There was no overt calculation; he would have seen it in her eyes.
    All he remembered was Laurie’s confusion. But how had she known Gich’s name?
    Shaking his head, he made the anger go away and concentrated on the memory of her hot, well-endowed body locked tight against his. It made him smile. Perhaps he had been too hasty in judging her.
    Yeah, he could drum up an apology for the lady if it might help his cause, though it was doubtful she would forgive him. He’d been a pretty nasty asshole, accusing her basically of being either a prostitute or a froghog. In either case it was going to