SEAL Of My Heart by Sharon Hamilton Read Free Book Online

she did, take his hand in hers, and thank him sincerely for the ride. And nothing else. What remained unspoken as they gazed at each other was the longing no doubt they both felt…that chemical attraction formed long before their first kiss. Something had sprouted inside her heart, wanting desperately to grow. Along with that was the ache at knowing she was going to force it to wither.
    Because that was the right thing to do. Kate always did the right thing.
    “Well,” he said as he turned to the side and stared off at the river. “I hope you have a beautiful wedding and a wonderful life, Kate.” He looked down. His face was in line with hers, and if she wanted to, she could lean forward and their lips would meet, since he was one step below her. “It was very nice to meet you,” he finished.
    “Nice to meet you, Tyler. Good luck on your next tour. And thank you. Thank you for doing what you’re doing for all of us. Just know that I for one appreciate it.”
    “Thanks,” he said. “Well at least that’s something I can go away with, then.” He looked at the door. “Is your sister home?”
    “Five minutes,” Kate said, holding up her phone. “She just texted me.”
    “Good. Take care, Kate.”
    With that he turned and started down the steps. Kate watched his muscular body descend, and her heart felt like it was being stabbed with a dull pencil. “Tyler,” she blurted, before she even knew what she wanted to say.
    He looked up at her, hands on his hips, one foot on the step above the other.
    “We could write. I could write you while you’re overseas.”
    Tyler examined his shoes again. “We could do that,” he said as his blue eyes swept up to take in her face. “Don’t want to go where I don’t belong though.”
    It was a dangerous thing to say, but it was the truth of their situation. Where did he belong in her life? A man whose service she was grateful for. A warrior called to do his duty. An honorable man not willing to encroach on another man’s girl. That made him even more attractive than the moment she’d kissed him. He wasn’t going to complain or try to talk her into anything she wasn’t going to be a full participant in, and she liked him all the more for it.
    “I’d like to write you letters. I’d like to hear about what it’s like being over there. Whatever you can share.”
    “More like what’s going on here,” he said as he pointed to his chest. “And here,” he pointed to his head.
    “Then I’ll take that. Whatever you want to tell me. I’ll listen. We’ll be friends through our letters, Tyler.”
    “I’d like that very much,” he said. He got out a notebook he kept in his jacket pocket and scribbled down something, then jogged up the four steps until he was just below Kate again, handing her the paper. “Use this address.”
    She took the notebook and his pen, her fingers grazing his. He stood too close, so close that she could feel his body heat and hear the deep, satisfying sound of his breathing while she wrote her address and handed him back the notebook and pen.
    “Here’s mine.”
    “Good. I’ll write first,” he said. His clear blue eyes searched her face and landed on her mouth again. She thought he was going to cover her lips with his, but he leaned in, angled, and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Bye, Kate.”
    He didn’t look back at her as he rounded the Gremlin. Kenny waved to her, and she waved back. But Tyler got in the passenger seat and didn’t turn in her direction as the little green monster sputtered off down the wet blacktop.
    Like one of the little monsters glued to Kenny’s dash, a tiny piece of her heart was embedded there, staring at Tyler’s face, begging him to turn around and come back.
    But it was not to be.

Chapter 6
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    K enny shut off the music, which was the first sign, and gave him one of those what-the-fuck-were-you-thinkin’ looks, just like when they were in community college. It usually involved a girl, but