Hot SEAL, Labor Day by Cynthia D’Alba

Chapter 3

As Sawyer waited for her reply to his invitation to ride today, he experienced an unusual feeling…nerves. Sure, he felt some nerves when he operated with a new team. Not nerves about his abilities. He knew he was solid, but he couldn’t always be sure about the team. Some of them functioned like a well-oiled machine. They thought alike, worked alike, and moved as one. Some teams he’d been on had been units of men, but quietly disorganized. He hated those. Typically, he was forced to float to one of those less effective teams when someone died, something he hated. Now, Romeo Team? Bear had those guys all thinking and moving with one brain. They were the type of SEAL team he enjoyed working with, but was that enough to make him want to give up the float for permanency?

“Yes,” Ana said, jerking him back to reality.

“Yes? As in, you want to go around the lake?”

She smiled, and his heart tripped over. He doubted she had any idea how beautiful and sexy she was.

“Yep. Around the lake.”

“Great. It’s a long drive, and it could get cool before we get back. Do you have a jacket at your cabin?”

“No, sorry.” Her face fell.

“No problem. I have one you can wear, if you don’t mind it being a little big.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Perfect. Let me settle the bill, and we’ll head back to my cabin to grab my jacket.”

She pulled a twenty from her pocket. “This will cover mine.”

He looked at her twenty and frowned. “Put that back in your pocket. I’ve got this.”

“But—”

“But nothing. I invited you. I’m paying.” He slid from the booth. “And that’s final.”

“Fine, but you’ll let me pay for dinner, maybe?”

“Sounds like a deal.” Oh, hell, yeah. He’d let her pay, or at least say he would. That’d give him more time with her, something he definitely wanted.

Back outside, she put on his helmet, and climbed on his bike like she’d done it a million times. The view of her on his bike was, well, better than any dream he’d ever had. But, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember why her face and name were so familiar. It’d come to him eventually.

After a quick stop for his jacket—her arms were so delicate that his jacket would provide a extra layer in case of an accident…not that he expected one—he roared out of Harbin’s Harbor Cabins. Behind him, Ana’s breasts were firmly pressed into his back, as they had been during the ride to the diner. As before, her arms wrapped snuggly around his waist. He could hear her laughter as they rode out of town toward Lakefront Circle.

Lakefront Circle had a deceiving name. While it was a road that circled Lake Kincade, there were numerous spurs off of it that led to housing developments and viewpoints that were on the lakefront. If he got on Lakefront and never stopped, just drove the loop, it would take a couple of hours. However, if he pulled down any spur, or stopped for views, he could easily kill the entire afternoon, which was exactly what he had planned.

His original plan had been to meet his parents here. Lake Kincade was close to Coronado. He’d been here before and had enjoyed the small town’s personality. When they had to cancel, he considered not coming, but he’d been on his own for years, and alone for most of those. Traveling solo was his usual modius operandi, so another vacation alone wasn’t that upsetting.

That’s not to say he hadn’t had girlfriends he’d taken away for weekend getaways. He had, and could have more if he wanted, but he hadn’t met a woman he felt any spark for or any real connection to until this week. Ana Cristiano had changed that for him.

The first glimpse of her face last night had rocked him back on his heels. It’d been her eyes looking at him through a half-opened window. A deep jade green that had bored a hole into his chest.

However, this morning…wow. He’d gotten a look at the entire package while she’d been petting Ranger. Her hair was a rich, deep auburn that tumbled over her shoulders and down her back in waves. He hadn’t realized how large her eyes were last night. Today, her large eyes with her long, dark eyelashes, her straight nose, and full red lips made an image impossible to ignore. She was a knock-out, or at least she knocked the breath from his lungs.

Instead of Lakefront Circle, he made an impromptu decision to ride to the top of the mountain first to give her an overview of the area. He turned on Mountain View Drive and started the climb. After about fifteen minutes, he turned onto a dirt and gravel road that passed between arching trees. If someone didn’t know it was here, the turn could be easily missed.

“Where are we going?” Ana asked.

“Up the mountain. Special viewing area. Trust me.” But he could hear the slight hesitation in her voice. What an idiot he was. Of course, she’d been nervous. He’d told her one thing and was doing completely something else. Any woman would be anxious to be on the back of a bike with a man she’d just met who was taking her somewhere other than what he’d said.

He rode into an open area with large boulders blocking the drop down the mountain. She climbed off the bike almost the second he stopped.

She whipped off her helmet. “Where are we?” she asked, her gaze whipping around.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so used to doing whatever comes to mind. Honestly, so sorry. I thought you might enjoy the view from the top of the mountain before we circle the lake. That way, you have an idea of where we are. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“I’m not frightened.” She tossed her hair over her shoulders. “I’m just not big on surprises.”

He drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Got it. No surprises. But again, I’m sorry. Dumb move. I promise to tell you before I go off-script.”

With a nod, she said, “Okay, now, what did you want me to see?”

They stepped over to the large boulders, and he pointed out various areas.

“See that black road that circles the lake? Well…sort of circles it. That’s Lakefront Circle.” He pointed west. “Over there is the chairlift that takes riders up to a downhill sled ride. No snow needed.” He looked at her. “I think you would enjoy that. Also in that area are go-karts and miniature golf.” He pointed a little more west. “That’s where we are staying.”

She leaned out to look. “I see it.” She turned to him. “I’m so glad not to have ended up in some impersonal hotel. I lucked out with my cabin.”

“You must’ve booked it a long time ago. Harbin’s Harbor books up months in advance because of demand.”

Shaking her head, she said, “I didn’t. I literally called yesterday and got lucky. There was a last-minute cancellation.”

His mouth stretched into a grin. “Right. I cancelled my parents’ cabin. You must’ve gotten it.”

Mentally, he thanked his parents for cancelling. That explained how the two of them had ended up with the two cabins away from everyone else.

“That’s right. You said your parents had to go to…”

“Belgium.”

“Right. Beautiful country. You ever been there?”

“I have. Being in a military family, we traveled a lot. We were based in Germany for a number of years, so Mom and I would venture out to visit other countries when Dad was busy. I think I’ve been to most of the European countries.”

“Me, too.” Her voice reflected the smile on her face.

“When was the first time you went?”

She tapped a finger on her lip as she thought. The tapping drew his attention from her face directly to her luscious lips. What would they taste like? Would they feel as cushiony as they looked? She licked her lips.

Fuck. His brain swirled off in directions it didn’t need to be dancing off to!

“I think I was about seven? Or maybe eight.”

What was she talking about? He was thinking kisses, and she was talking about…Oh yeah. Traveling.

“I bet you had fun with your parents.”

She shrugged. “Not really. My mom didn’t go, and Dad spent most of his time exploring Germany. At that point, Randall wasn’t my manager and was more interested in pushing Geoffrey.” Her face brightened. “But I had fun, just not with Dad. I met a bunch of the kids who lived on the base and played in the snow.”

“Oh yeah, we used to have tons of snow, which is probably why I live in California now.”

With a chuckled, she said, “I love snow, but I love it most when I don’t have to leave the house.” She wrinkled her nose. “If I have to go somewhere, give me warm weather, clear skies, and dry roads.”

“Amen. Ready to head on?”

“Sure. Where to next?” Her eyebrow lifted.

He chuckled. “No surprises. I thought we’d head to the very top of the mountain for more views, and then head back down the way we came. If we go over the mountain, we’ll move away from Lake Kincade. Once we get back in town, let’s grab sandwiches and find somewhere to picnic along the drive.”

She groaned. “Lunch? We just ate breakfast.”

“Not hardly. That was a couple of hours ago.”

Her eyes popped wide. “Wow. Where did time go? Okay, that sounds like a plan. Let’s ride.”

He grinned. “At your command.”

The top of the mountain took about twenty minutes because of the switchbacks. At the top, he parked in another area with large boulders blocking the mountain drop, but this time, they weren’t alone. Six other cars were already parked. People spilled out in all directions.

He pointed to the empty boulder on the right. “Let’s head over there.”

“Will the view be as good as trying to wiggle into the crowd in the center?”

“Probably not, but we can always come back later in the week if you want. Holiday weekends brings out all the tourists.” He emphasized the last word with a self-deprecating sneer, which made her laugh and made his heart soar. He loved hearing her laugh.

Still, they walked over to the last boulder, and Ana climbed on top and sat. She bent one leg and wrapped her arms around her knee.

“I love this view.” She grinned at him. “Even from way over here.”

He leaned on the boulder and looked over the vista. “Me, too. Don’t get me wrong. Living on the beach is great, too, but I love mountain air.”

“You live on the beach?”

He chuckled. “At times. I have a motorhome. Sometimes, when training has had me in sand and salt water for days, I want to get away from all of it. I take the motorhome and move to an RV park inland. When I get tired of that view, I move to a different park.”

A deep frown creased her brow. “Doesn’t all the moving get tiring? Or better yet, do you ever forget where you parked?”

Chuckling, he said, “Moving is pretty easy. Unplug electric, pull up hoses, hook my truck to the RV for towing, my bike secured in the truck bed, and pull out. Occasionally, I have to think about where home is, but I always remember.” He tapped his head. “I have a secret way to remember.”

She leaned forward. “Oh, tell me.”

“But then it wouldn’t be a secret.”

She laughed. “I suppose you’re right.” She turned to look at the view. “Lake Kincade is bigger than I thought it would be. How big is it? Do you know?”

From where he leaned next to her, a sweet floral scent tickled his senses. He leaned closer, as though he was being pulled by a string. No string, however. Just the most interesting woman he’d met in a long time.

“Size? About twenty-thousand acres, I think. It can fluctuate according to snow fall.” He pointed to a mountain in the distance. “Can you see the ski slopes?”

“I can.” She looked at him. “Have you ever been here in the winter to ski?”

“Sure.”

“Black diamond sort of guy?”

He arched an eyebrow in answer.

“Got it. No bunny slopes for you.”

He laughed. “What about you?”

She got a sheepish look on her face. “Randall won’t let me.”

“Who is Randall? You’ve mentioned him before. You’re not married, right?”

She fake-gagged. “Married to Randall? Kill me now. No, Randall is my manager.”

“Manager?” He frowned. “Why do you need a manager?”

Sighing, she said, “He manages my career.”

“And that would be?”

“I play the piano.”

His mouth quirked. “Hmm. Would you have played with any bands I might recognize?”

She shook her head. “Doubt it,” she said with another sigh.

“Are you any good?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty good.”

“Interesting.” He didn’t play an instrument of any kind, not that that had stopped his mother from paying for lessons on the guitar, the trumpet, and the drums. He sucked at all of them.

“Ready to head to circle the lake?” she asked.

He picked up on her obvious change of subject. “Sure.”

“How long is the drive?”

“A couple of hours, but if we stop for lunch like we talked about, we’ll probably waste most of the afternoon. I’m sorry. I didn’t ask if you had other plans or needed to be back at a certain time.”

“No plans. Let’s go, easy rider.”

By the time they got down the mountain and back to the town of Lake Kincade, it was close to noon. The sun was high in the sky. Holiday traffic was brutal. Bumper to bumper traffic lined the road through the center of town. He suspected the traffic on the road ringing Lake Kincade would be much of the same.

“Maybe driving Lakefront circle isn’t such a good idea,” he said. “I keep forgetting the Labor Day crowds.” He pulled into the lane of slow traffic.

“The road traffic looks worse than the boat traffic on the lake, and I didn’t think anything could look worse than that.”

“Want to do this another day? I promise that everyone will disappear late Monday.”

“Probably the best plan.”

He heard her sigh. He hoped that meant she was as disappointed as he was. He turned into a grocery store parking lot and parked.

“Let’s get some stuff and cook out tonight for dinner. We have a great firepit. There’s a grate that goes over it. Maybe we could grill some steaks.”

“Or hot dogs,” she said gleefully. “I never get to eat hot dogs. Steaks I have all the time. I want some serious taboo foods.”

He laughed. “Taboo foods. I love it. Well, come on and pick up something really terrible for dinner.”

After the stop at the store, where he let Ana pick all the ingredients for tonight’s meal as well as a couple of sandwiches for lunch, they climbed back on the bike and headed back to Harbin’s. He parked his motorcycle beside her car, and eyed it. Yeah, she probably did play the piano, but from the looks of her car, she wasn’t making much money from her gigs. Later, he’d look her up online and check out the bands she’d played with. His taste in music ran toward country, but he doubted that was her forte. Still, it’d be cool if he could mention some of her previous band gigs tonight. In the meantime, he’d make sure to pick up any expenses. Heck, this cabin was probably putting a serious dent in her money.

“I forgot to ask you if you wanted some wine or something,” he said.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Which wine pairs well with hot dogs, chips, and s’mores?”

He laughed. “Beer.”

“Great. I’ll have a beer with dinner.”

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “Have you ever had a beer?”

She scoffed. “Of course.”

He doubted her, but he couldn’t say why. He knew they were probably close in age, but she came off as someone who’d lived a much more sheltered life.

“Okay, then. I’m going to run and grab some beers to ice down.”

“And I’m going to sit on my porch and read a book.”

When he got back, she was on her porch as she’d said she’d be, a paperback book clutched in her hands.

“Good book?” he asked as he walked past her cabin on the way to his.

“Shh. The heroine is walking down a flight of stairs into a basement looking for the serial killer.” She never lifted her gaze off the page.

He walked on, chuckling to himself.

The sun began dropping in the sky about six-thirty. He’d set up the firepit with wood and found some hangers to use for roasting the hot dogs and the marshmallows. None of that had taken long. What ate up his afternoon had been his internet research, and what he’d found stunned him to his core.

Ana had been correct when she’d said he’d never heard of any of the quote bands unquote she’d played with. She played with orchestras, not bands, and who hadn’t heard of the San Diego Philharmonic Orchestra? He remembered sitting through a performance of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra when he’d been about ten. Talk about misery. He had begged to go see Destiny’s Child or The Rolling Stones, but his mother had been sure the culture would be good for him. At ten, he’d been too young to appreciate all the talented musicians.

However, that afternoon, he must have watched twenty different videos of Ana playing with various orchestras. In every case, she’d been the star attraction. They were her back-up. Never had he experienced anything like the feelings Ana’s music produced. He’d been sucker-punched by the degree of her talent.

So, why was she here in some tiny cabin in Lake Kincade, and why was she driving that rust bucket in the parking lot?

And should he blow her cover and let her know he knew who she was, or continue to accept the person she wanted him to see?