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“Ah, so you’re using your insider knowledge.” Dad chuckles, then throws his hands up at the screen. “You have to catch the damn thing. Come on.”
My tongue twitches as though willing me to say something else, even if I know it would be a massive mistake. I need to steer as far away from this topic as possible, not crash right into it.
“I wonder why he doesn’t have one,” I say in a musing tone, looking down at my book.
“Who? Bennet?”
“Yeah.”
Dad sighs. “I don’t know. It’s a difficult question to answer. He’s always had options, over the years. Do you know what his nickname was, in the SEALs? Pretty Boy. He hated it, really hated it, though of course, he’d never let anybody but me know that. I think he was actually glad the day he started going gray.”
Of course, Bennet had options. He’s the most mouthwatering hunky man I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
“So why no girlfriend?” I prompted.
“I don’t know, Rory. It’s just Bennet… he’s an intense guy, always has been. But that intensity has never transferred to relationships. But we rarely talk about stuff like that. You’d have to ask him.”
“Okay, sure, I’ll ask him next time I see him.”
I try and make it sound like a joke, but it comes out a shuddering mess. Like any second I could burst into tears at the thought of him with another woman. Quickly forcing the emotion away, I focus on my book, wondering if Bennet will show up at the park tomorrow.
I know it would be for the best if he didn’t.
But I also can’t deny how badly I want him to.
Chapter Six
Bennet
I feel like I’m on some sort of covert op as I walk into the park, a maelstrom of emotions swelling inside of me. I know I should turn away and forget about this. My heart skips a beat at just the thought of what I’m going to do when I lay eyes on her…
Am I going to be able to hold myself back?
My body sure doesn’t have any of those concerns. My legs move almost without my instruction, carrying me into the park.
Luckily it’s busy at this time of day, even if the autumn weather has turned slightly chilly, tourists, office workers, dog walkers, and roller skaters make it so I can blend in.
Not that we need to hide. It’s a weekday and, unlike me with my contract work, Rick keeps a strict schedule.
Is that why Lorelei chose this place? Because she knew her dad wouldn’t catch us?
Catch us.
The phrase makes me feel sick.
And yet my footsteps keep carrying me across the park, to the rear, to the pond where Lorelei said she wanted to meet in her letter. It was a simple note, giving me a time and a place. And a question. Want to meet? underneath it all.
Which should’ve been a hard no, but of course it was yes. My heart kicked in my chest at the thought of meeting and my cock had twinged, the beast inside of me howling, as though urging me to do everything in my power to make this woman mine, for life, forever.
I walk around the pond over to the trees, all huddled together like football players before a match. The leaves have turned brown and begun to shed, carpeting the ground. Wandering over to them, I lean against a tree trunk, my gaze scanning over the pond and beyond.
And then I hear it. Behind me. Someone sneaking up on me.
I spin as my training kicks in, getting ready to face down whatever dumb motherfucker thinks sneaking up on a SEAL is a good idea.
Lorelei stops in her tracks, staring up at me.
She’s wearing a padded coat, jeans, and chunky black boots, but none of that can hide the shape beneath her clothes, the way her hips curve, the gorgeous juiciness of her ass, or the curvaceous perfection of her breasts. Her hair is long and soft looking, around her shoulders, and her cheeks are red from the wind, giving her a flushed and vivacious look.
Fuck.
I’m already striding over to her, my body heaving, as my head takes a back seat and my need dominates me.
At the last moment, I realize what I’m doing, stopping just short of her.
I can smell her perfume. Or maybe it’s just her. Whatever it is, the scent works its way inside of me, calling to my primal hunger.
“Sneaking around, are you?” I say, trying to keep my tone casual.
She smiles softly, turning her gaze down, my innocent girl. “I didn’t mean to. I don’t think I could sneak up on you anyway.”
My fingers itch to reach out and clasp onto hers, but I know I’d be lost the moment I touched her. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from tearing open that thick jacket and getting at the beauty beneath.
