Page 2 of Triton

1

Erik

In the water, out of the water. Pain for you, fun forme.

I placed my hand over the raised motto printed on the back of my long-sleeved, dark blue instructor shirt from my locker in the BUD/S compound. Warmth filled my chest as I pulled the shirt overit.

Today was going to beepic.

It was my first day as a BUD/S instructor—responsible for training the next generation of Frogmen. Only eight years ago, I’d been a mere tadpole myself. My instructors were such badasses, and now it was my turn to inflict the hurt. After surviving many deployments with SEAL Team Seven, I had been graced with this coveted non-deployable three-year land duty. Three years stateside in beautiful Coronado, California—home to the sexiest women in the world. Yup, there were plenty of fish in thesea.

Maybe I would finally get overAria.

My buddy Devin walked into the room. With his pretty boy swagger, long blonde hair, steel-grey eyes, and movie star smile, there was no doubt that he used to be a world-famous rock star, even though he kept his true identity a fiercely guarded secret. The guys had nicknamed him, “Skin,” because, like Rumpelstiltskin, he never would admit to anyone outside of the Teams that he had once graced the cover of Rolling Stone shirtless and clad in skin tight leather pants. He had abandoned his former life as Dax, lead guitarist of Gold Whiskey, the millennium’s hottest heavy metal band, to become an operator.

I couldn’t fathom ever earning that much money and then giving it up. And as much as I loved my job, I struggled to accept the fact that even though I risked my life daily to protect America, on my salary, I would never be able to save enough money to buy a home where I was stationed. Any extra income I made, I sent to my mom. She was proud and humble and would always refuse to accept it, only to eventually give in reluctantly. Ever since my dad had died, she had done her best to provide for my sister but struggled to make ends meet. I was determined to help them any way I could.

Devin’s hand brushed his long blonde bangs off his face. “Hey, dude. Have you seen the Frog Princess?”

Fuck. Just my fucking luck. My first time as an instructor and I had to be responsible for the downfall of the Teams. Today was the day that Naval Special Warfare would lose all its standards. Despite the Team guys’ collective protests and pleas, our arguments had failed to convince the high brass of the Navy, who quite frankly didn’t know shit, that having a female on the Teams was the worst idea imaginable. Fuck political correctness—I was training warriors.

I exhaled. “Nah, man. I just hope she looks like Demi Moore. Maybe we should assemble a special Team, just of women. Wait until their times of the month sync up, then deploy them. They will lay waste to the enemy.”

Devin burst into laughter. “Damn straight. They could take outISIS.”

Ha! “Fuck yeah.” I fastened my boots, pushed back my sunglasses, and walked around the corner, preparing to meet my class. I gazed out at the midnight blue ocean, barely visible at zero dark thirty. The waves rippled in the distance, and the scent of salt water and sweat lingered in the air. These recruits didn’t have a clue what they were about to endure.

Let the games begin.

As I approached the class, my eyes were immediately drawn to the lone female in the group, as if her presence was a magnet to my cock. The tight, brown shirt clung to her breasts, and the green cammies hung low on her slender hips. Like a flame, one wisp of her red hair peeked out of her cap. She must’ve felt my gaze because she raised her eyes to meetmine.

Holyfuck!

My heart pounded in my chest, and my body shook withfury.

No, she didn’t look like Demi Moore. She was hotter, way fucking hotter. She wasn’t anything like the type of woman I had thought would’ve signed up for this torture. She wasn’t hardened, mean, nor did she have a chip on her shoulder.

I knew this because I knewher.

I’d lovedher.

And she’d leftme.

Aria stood in front of me—my little mermaid who had swum off in the middle of the night, leaving me heartbroken. She’d told me she had gone to “train.” My dumb ass thought she’d meant for another shot at the Olympics. But she’d taken on the ultimate challenge.

She was here to be the first female NavySEAL.

And I was her instructor.

I narrowed my gaze on her, purposefully intimidating her. Her chin dropped, and her eyes blinked rapidly.

My annoyance flared. What the fuck was she doing here? When had she been commissioned by the Navy? Was this why she had leftme?

A tremble took over herbody.

It could’ve been from the chill of the early morning.

Or it could’ve been from the horror of realizing she had come face to face with the man she had betrayed.