Protected by a SEAL (Alpha SEALs, Book 6) (6 page)

Brent watched Ella lean further over the
pool table and effortlessly sink a ball in the corner pocket. The
way the denim curved against her ass was a sight to behold, and
Brent willed himself to look away. Fucking hell. He was supposed to
be teaching her how to shoot pool, not mentally undressing her. Not
standing so close behind her it was practically indecent. But
despite the alarm bells going off in his head, he was itching to
walk over and wrap his hands around her hips again, tugging her
closer. Feeling her soft body in front of him. Her ass snug against
his throbbing cock.

She was so petite compared to him. So
feminine compared to his own masculine frame. Hell, he could
practically scoop her right up in one arm. He had half a mind to
haul her off into the night.

Toss her on the back of his Harley.

Take her again and again in his bed.

Right.

Like that would ever fucking happen.

He turned away from her tempting form and
took a swig of his beer. His pulse pounded, sending adrenaline
coursing through his veins, and he willed his cock to stand down.
Jesus. It wasn’t like him to get all riled up over a woman. They
were a dime a dozen, and he sure as shit had no reason to let her
get to him. If he needed someone to keep his bed warm, there were
plenty of willing, less-complicated partners he could enjoy a night
with.

But they weren’t Ella.

Brushing that thought aside, he watched as
she scanned the remaining balls on the table. She had an intense
look of concentration on her face, but at the moment, she also
seemed pissed off. He hadn’t imagined the way she’d stiffened when
she’d gotten a text earlier. Or seemed defensive when Brianna had
asked about the repeated messages.

Was someone bothering her?

The thought stirred an uneasiness in his
gut, immediately followed by a wave of protectiveness. The idea of
anyone causing her distress didn’t sit well with him. Hell, he’d
wanted to beat the shit out of her boss just for yelling at her the
night they’d first met down in Pensacola. Shove him against the
wall and settle things man to man. Then again, maybe the repeated
text messages were nothing. Weren’t college students attached to
their phones like they were an extra appendage? What the hell did
he know? It was probably just some prick she’d gone out with who
wanted a second date.

He clenched his fists at the idea of her
with another man. The thought of another guy touching her, kissing
her, tasting her, made him see red. But he didn’t have any claim on
Ella. And hell. He’d spend night after night with a new woman,
kissing every square inch of her. Burying his cock into her tight
channel. He’d had plenty of women, and certainly Ella wasn’t alone
in her bed every night.

“We’re gonna head out, man,” Mike said as he
strode over. Brent flicked his gaze to the others, watching as
Kenley said goodbye. “What’s with you and Ella?” Mike asked. “Part
of you looks like you want to throttle her, and the other half
looks like you want to fuck her.”

Brent ground his jaw. “Jesus Christ. Just
trying to figure something out.”

Mike laughed. “Right. The answer is no.”

Brent raised his eyebrows.

“Don’t take her home with you.”

“Hell, even if I want her six ways to Sunday
doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen.”

“She’s going back to Florida soon
anyway.”

“Yep.”

“All right. Catch you tomorrow.”

Mike and Kenley walked out, and Brianna
looked like she was about to fall asleep standing up by Matthew’s
side. After this game, most likely they’d all be heading home.

The question was, was he going to call it a
night, too? Or head back to Anchors and pick up some pretty young
thing to entertain him until morning? He couldn’t exactly find a
woman here, not with Ella at his side. Hell, they weren’t even
together, but something about Ella seeing him hit on another woman
didn’t sit well with him. And wasn’t that a fucking gut check.

“Way to go, Ella!” Brianna called out as she
sank another ball.

“Damn, man, if you ever decide to leave the
service, you can teach people how to play pool for a living,”
Matthew said, sounding impressed.

“Yeah, I’ll add it to my list of
post-military career options,” Brent said dryly.

“People would pay big bucks to have your mad
skills. Ella’s been playing, what, an hour or two?”

“It’s natural talent,” she said, glancing
over at them with a grin.

Well hell. She should smile like that more
often. Her entire face lit up, those blue eyes sparking with fire
and light, and for a moment, Brent’s concerns about her
dissipated.

“You tell ‘em, honey,” Brianna encouraged.
“Brent doesn’t need to be the only pool shark in this group.”

“Too bad Kenley left early. She was dying to
have the ladies win!”

Brent raised his eyebrows in amusement
before glancing back at Matthew. “Nah. I won’t be a SEAL forever,
but I’ll still be Navy. I can’t stay in one place for too long.
Teaching pool for a living sounds too much like settling down. I
might as well get a wife, dog, and two point five kids. That might
work for other guys, but not me.”

Matthew nodded. “Hoorah.”

All the guys on their team shared the same
deep need to serve their country. Brent had enlisted in the Navy
right out of high school, just like most of the other men. He’d
completed BUD/S, Basic Underwater Demolitions/SEAL, and found his
calling. He was married to the Navy, for better or worse, and so
far Uncle Sam had served him well. After watching his mother
struggle, after living through the loss of his sister, the need to
protect others pulsed through him. He’d goddamn give his life to
defend the defenseless, help the injured, beat the bad guys. And
the world was full of them—terrorists, drug lords, sex traffickers,
you name it. He’d seen shit no one should ever have to. And maybe
he couldn’t save everyone, but hell. If he could protect one
person, it was worth it.

If only he could’ve saved his sister.

Guilt churned through him once more. He’d
started the night in a shit mood at Anchors but hadn’t thought
about the anniversary of her death once since he’d been here
shooting pool. So was that a good thing or bad thing? The memories
ate him alive night after night no matter what. He almost felt
twice as bad about it now for briefly forgetting.

Usually it took losing himself in a woman,
but if some semblance of peace could be found shooting pool with
his buddies, he’d take it. Right. As if they were the calming
distraction he’d had all night. He wanted to laugh at the irony—of
course it wasn’t them. It was her. A woman.

And just because he hadn’t slept with her
didn’t mean he didn’t want to.

“Damn, I missed,” Ella said as her ball
bounced off the side of the table.

“You can’t win ‘em all, darlin’,” Matthew
said with a grin. “Even with this guy as your teacher.”

Ella shrugged, leaning her cue against the
wall. That cute little tank top she had on tugged across her chest,
and Brent willed himself to keep his gaze on her face. It was a
losing battle, and his eyes slid lower and lower. That long pendant
dangling from her slender neck hung right between the supple curve
of her breasts. He was dying to inspect it up close. Run his
fingers down the delicate chain. Steal a kiss.

“Maybe I’ll have to practice sometime down
in Florida now that I know how to play,” Ella said.

“Right, show those college boys how it’s
done,” Matthew laughed.

Uneasiness churned through his gut. Ella,
alone in some other pool hall, with all sorts of men hitting on
her? Hell, that was no better a scenario than the cocktail lounge
she’d worked in. A place that seemed to draw predatory men in
droves. One that he was damn glad she’d never see again.

Brianna laughed. “With all that free time
you have, right?”

Ella blew out a sigh. “I know. Between work,
classes, and homework, free time is nonexistent right now. Spring
break notwithstanding. And who am I kidding? I should be back home
right now making some money.”

“You won’t be in school forever,” Brianna
insisted.

“I might be if I can’t pay my tuition.”

“Do you need me to loan you some money? I
know I was complaining a few months back when I got laid off, but I
have money saved up. And of course my new job here,” she said,
referring to her marketing position at a law firm in Virginia
Beach. Their SEAL team leader Patrick’s girlfriend had hooked
Brianna up with a job, and she’d been thrilled to take it and move
in with Matthew. “You can pay me back when you graduate.”

A flush spread across Ella’s cheeks at the
mention of money. “Thanks, but I’ll figure something out. I’ve
managed to make it this far on my own,” she added, somewhat
uncertainly. Brent’s eyes narrowed. Alone? Certainly she had
parents or someone helping her out. Didn’t all the college kids
these days? Brianna and Matthew’s parents each had homes down in
Florida. Ella probably had parents living there too.

Ella turned and walked over to grab her soda
from the table nearby, her hips swaying in those tight jeans. Even
if it was under the guise of teaching Ella, Brent had fucking loved
standing so close to her tonight. Breathing in her scent. Feeling
just the hint of her small body pressed against his. And damn. His
bad mood had completely vanished since they’d arrived at the pool
hall. He’d been too focused on her. But who was he kidding? Ella
was just like all the other women he distracted himself with. Even
though he hadn’t slept with her, he’d enjoyed having her close by.
But tomorrow there’d be another woman to fill her shoes.

A brief pang of regret filled his chest.

“We’re gonna have to take off soon,” Matthew
drawled. “Bri is exhausted.”

“Got it,” Brent muttered in affirmation.

Soon enough he’d be back to reality—back to
another sleepless night. Another grueling day of training. An
existence without the strange sense of calmness he felt around
Ella. He ran a hand over the stubble on his jaw. Training was
bright and early tomorrow, and he was already feeling the loss of
her presence. Maybe he would have to swing by Anchors and take a
woman home with him. Just to keep his sanity. Just to prevent his
churning thoughts from keeping him up until dawn.

“Are you ladies ready to head out?” Matthew
asked a few minutes later, glancing at the two women.

“Guess so,” Ella agreed, glancing at the
clock on the wall. “And here I thought I’d be bailing out
early.”

“If I’d known you’d smoke us at pool, I
wouldn’t have insisted you come,” Matthew joked.

“Aw, don’t tease Ella,” Brianna said. “She
won’t want to come out with you again. And I’d hate to have to
ditch you for her.”

“Sorry, darlin’,” he drawled.

Brianna rolled her eyes and then grabbed
Ella’s hand, tugging her toward the door. Brent followed behind
with Matthew, watching the two women. Jesus. He felt lighter than
he had in years hanging around with Ella all night. Maybe it was
because although he’d teased her, standing a little too close
behind her, just barely caressing her hand, he wasn’t planning to
score. For once he’d been hanging around a woman who wasn’t a sure
thing—and who knew he’d fucking love the chase so damn much.

The sights and sounds of the main strand
along Virginia Beach surrounded them as they walked out the front
door—seafood restaurants, bars with open patios, small souvenir
shops catering to the tourists. It wasn’t that late, maybe only
eleven p.m., and Brent was suddenly itching to cruise around on his
motorcycle, taking in some of the salty air blowing in from the
ocean. To feel the wind whipping at his side. To extend this night
a little longer. Dawn would be here before he knew it, and nothing
was as awful as another sleepless, restless night.

“I’ll give you a lift,” Brent said to Ella
as they walked onto the sidewalk.

Matthew raised his eyebrows. “We can drop
her off. It’s right on the way back to my place. Our place,” he
corrected, grinning at Brianna.

“Yeah, I can stick with them,” she
agreed.

The smell of brick oven pizza drifted across
the street to where they were standing, causing them all to glance
over. “Oh, that smells so good,” Brianna said. “Too bad pizza makes
me sick right now. And tomato sauce. And pretty much everything
else.”

Ella’s gaze flicked over to her friend, and
she absentmindedly clutched her purse to her chest. Hell. Just like
when she’d wanted to play pool earlier but didn’t want to spend the
money. Maybe it was an unconscious reflex. Did she even have enough
money for food? She’d insisted all she wanted was a soda at the
pool hall. And Brent hadn’t been sitting with them at Anchors to
know if she’d eaten anything then. He knew Brianna had paid for
Ella’s flights to and from Florida since she was helping Brianna
move in and get settled. Maybe Ella still hadn’t found a new job
after quitting hers at the cocktail lounge.

He ground his jaw as he recalled that drunk
guy attacking Brianna in the back. What if that had been Ella? What
if his SEAL team buddies and him hadn’t been there that night?
Hell, Matthew hadn’t even known Brianna worked there. It was dumb
luck they’d been at the right place at the right time. And the
thought of any man attacking a woman, ever, didn’t sit well with
him.

The need to provide for her washed over him.
So what if it was just a damn pizza? She obviously hadn’t eaten
much all night. If she was hungry, he’d see to it that her basic
needs were met. Spend a few more minutes looking into those blue
eyes. Trying not to closely examine her willowy frame. Sending her
home alone and hungry wasn’t an option.

“Come on,” Brent said, cocking his head in
the direction of the pizzeria. “I’ll buy you some pizza and then
drive you home.”