The Navy SEAL's Christmas Bride by Cora Seton Read Free Book Online Page B

honey!”
    “Well, hell,” Mason said. “I guess that means I better join them.” He raced down the steps, too, followed by John and Rafe.
    Regan put two fingers in her mouth and let out a wolf whistle that brought everyone to a halt. “Bet you didn’t even know I could do that,” she said to Mason.
    “I didn’t. That’ll come handy when it’s time to move the cattle.”
    Sarah laughed along with the others, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Dan as he stripped off his shirt and got to work on his jeans. She’d known he’d be built under his winter gear, but the muscles carving his bare chest were breathtaking, as were the bulges that formed his biceps. No amount of training would give her biceps like that—not even with steroids, which she would never touch. She was an athlete—she could hold her head up high in any company—but she couldn’t compete with him that way.
    And she didn’t want to at the moment. She just wanted to watch him. Avidly.
    The other men were buff, too, of course, but she wasn’t going to stare at her friend’s husbands.
    “Naked racing around the Hall. That’s a new holiday tradition,” Ella mused.
    “A very short-lived, if fun, tradition.” Regan smoothed a hand over her pregnant belly. “I will not have my kids growing up with this kind of thing going on.” But her lips were twitching at the prospect in front of her and Sarah didn’t blame her. The men were down to their skivvies and damn, if this wasn’t a sight to see.
    “Okay, boys! When I yell go , drop your drawers and run,” Mason called. “On your mark, get set, go!”
    Sarah joined in the other women’s laughter as the men peeled off their shorts and took off. Regan leaned way over the railing as they quick turned the corner around the Hall. “Now that is a sight.”
    “Yes, it is,” Sarah agreed. “Too bad they’re so damn fast.”
    “I think Dan’s running a hell of a lot faster now than he did earlier on those snowshoes,” Ella said.
    “If we were smart, we’d run through the Hall and catch them on the other side, too.” Regan gestured for the front door.
    A mad dash ensued, with some good-natured pushing and shoving along the way. The pack of women reached the back porch just in time to catch the men racing past again. Regan let out another wolf-whistle, eliciting more laughter. Sarah caught Dan’s eye as he went past and he saluted her.
    “Back to the front,” Regan yelled and the women charged through the Hall again. This time they moved faster and got a full frontal view of the running men.
    “All right! That’s what we like to see! Come to Mama!” Ella yelled.
    Austin did a front handspring and the women cheered. The men disappeared around the side of the Hall again.
    “To the back!”
    Sarah charged to the back porch with the rest of them, laughing so hard she could barely keep up. As they raced back and forth and the men progressed to cartwheels, back flips and other tricks to elicit cheers, all her pain and worry about the future slid away. She didn’t know when she’d had such fun. She was going to miss Regan and the rest of the crowd when she was gone.
    Even Dan.
    “I don’t think I have a shred of dignity left,” Zane complained as he got dressed.
    “I don’t think any of us do,” Mason agreed.
    Dan chuckled. “I bet every one of us gets laid tonight.” The sudden silence among the others had him backtracking. “Every one of us with a wife does, anyway.”
    “Sarah’s fair game, buddy, but she is Regan’s friend. Don’t fuck things up there.” Mason buttoned his shirt.
    “I won’t fuck things up. I know what I’m doing.” Dan threw his shirt over his shoulder and went indoors, thinking that was a laugh. He didn’t have the slightest idea what he was doing. All he knew was that he’d liked her gaze on him when he raced around the Hall. He liked that she was getting an eyeful. He had no qualms about nudity—he knew what he had to offer a woman. He hoped