A SEAL's Seduction (Alpha SEALs Book 4) by Makenna Jameison Read Free Book Online Page A

gaze.  His jaw clenched as he watched her, his chiseled, masculine features almost too much to bear.  How could someone who was so handsome also act like such a jerk half the time?  It just wasn’t fair.  She hesitated, unsure of what to do.  Why did it feel like taking his sweatshirt meant more than borrowing a damn piece of clothing?
    His blue eyes softened as he watched her.  “Go on, you’re cold,” he said, his voice deep.  Maybe it was some sort of peace offering.  What did she care?  Reluctantly, she reached out to take the proffered sweatshirt.  She was freezing.  And even if Mike was kind of a jerk, it was still sort of sweet that he’d run back to grab it from his car and then chased after her.  All the way back to the boardwalk.
    She slipped into the oversized, soft cotton, and holy hell.  It even smelled like him.  Like man and spice and everything oh so nice.  She resisted the urge to inhale deeply and wrap her arms around herself.  That would feel too much like being in Mike’s arms.  Not that she wanted that to happen again.
    He jerked his head back toward the beach.  “Are you coming back?”
    “Yeah, I guess.  Lexi was bummed that I left early.”
    Mike nailed her with a gaze.  “She wasn’t the only one.”
    Kenley’s heart beat faster in her chest, and she raised her eyebrows, trying to play it cool.
    “I wanted to talk to you, remember?  I didn’t think I’d have to run after you down the beach to do so.”
    “Sorry, I just….”  Why was she apologizing to him?  She didn’t owe him an explanation.  She didn’t owe him anything.
    “I’m the one who’s sorry.  I know we didn’t get off to the best start when I frightened you at your condo, and I never would’ve done that if we hadn’t been searching for Lexi and her kidnappers.  My SEAL team is trained to be alert and subdue any threats.  Christopher and I were both on edge with Lexi missing, and you’d left the door open.  I wouldn’t just barge into a woman’s place and grab her like that otherwise.  I know you were terrified.”
    Kenley swallowed and nodded.  “I get it, all right?  I was worried about Lexi, too—that’s why I raced down here from Arlington.”
    Mike nodded and cleared his throat.  “And this afternoon—I swear I had no idea you couldn’t swim.  You’ve got that condo by the beach, and you and Lexi were spending the afternoon at the pool, I just assumed—”
    “Forget it, okay?”
    “If you’re sure you’re all right.  I would never do anything to hurt you—or any woman for that matter.”
    Kenley shrugged.  “You didn’t know.  It’s fine.”
    Mike nailed her with a gaze.  “And afterward, with that kiss….”
    “I said I just wanted to forget about the whole thing.  Can you just drop it?”
    Mike’s features hardened.  He looked like he wanted to say something else but didn’t.  “Let’s head back.  I still haven’t eaten, and I think Patrick and Rebecca were getting ready to roast marshmallows.”  He held out his arm, and Kenley looked at it hesitantly.
    “Come on.  I don’t want you tripping on any more shells.  I brought a flashlight, too.”
    He turned it on as if to prove his point and waited for her.  Against her better judgment, Kenley finally slipped her arm through Mike’s, trying not to gasp at the solid strength of him.  Even beneath their layers of clothing, she could feel his rock solid strength.  Memories of his body pressed against hers washed over her, and she shook her head, feeling dazed.  She couldn’t have recounted half of what she’d done this week, but she remembered every second Mike had pinned her against him.  His scent.  His strength.  His ragged breaths.  His arousal.  She swallowed, trying to think of anything else.
    They stepped off the boardwalk and into the sand, Kenley moving stiffly beside him.  Mike’s presence at her side both reassured and unnerved her.  He’d never harm her, but thoughts