Page 27 of SEAL’s Paradise (Alpha SEALs Hawaii #6)

––––––––

S AWYER STILLED AS HE strode into the kitchen and saw Riley at the stove the following morning, her hair up in a messy bun, wearing a thin tank top and cotton pajama shorts.

He wasn’t sure what had happened to the sexy black pajamas from last night, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

She looked good in anything. Everything.

He licked his lips. She looked especially good in nothing at all.

He moved behind Riley, his hands landing on her hips. He gave her a possessive squeeze, kissing the top of her head. “You making breakfast for me, future wifey?”

She laughed softly. “I thought we agreed we don’t actually need to get married now.”

“Sure, but we can still enjoy the good parts of a fake marriage,” he protested, letting his hands roam.

Riley giggled, and Sawyer’s heart soared at the sound.

He liked making her happy. He enjoyed making her scream with pleasure, too, but there was something to be said about savoring the quieter moments with a woman.

He hadn’t experienced that much, and for the first time, he saw how much he’d been missing out on.

Sawyer had been content in life, but she’d made him see there was so much more.

Was Riley his woman? He’d claimed her last night, but they hadn’t exactly discussed the future. Sawyer knew for a fact, though, that he wanted her to be his. Even the idea of Riley with another man made him see red. “So, about last night.”

She turned toward him, raising her eyebrows.

“I’m thinking we should do that again. Probably as often as possible.”

She huffed out a small laugh, and he kissed her, smiling as she melted against him. “We have work to do today,” she lightly chided, her eyes amused. “Tracking the traitors? Finding out when the next missile is meant to be smuggled off base and sold?”

“Minor details,” he scoffed, shooting her a cocky look. “You were begging for it last night, kitten. I could give you some more of that special Sawyer lovin’.”

She flushed, and he chuckled. “Now that I know what it feels like to be buried deep inside you, I’m going to be imagining it all the time. Counting down the minutes until it can happen again. You’re pure magic, woman.”

She cocked her head, smiling. “Is that so?”

“Well, we could do it all over again just to make sure....”

“Radley will think I’m an idiot for sleeping with you,” Riley said, turning away to shut off the stove.

Sawyer chuckled. “She wouldn’t be the first woman to think I’m a mistake. Can’t say I mind you bragging about my sexual prowess though,” he joked. “What’s she doing while you’re here, anyway? I figured she’d show up at some point to help out,” he said, curious.

“We’ve worked together on jobs in the past, that’s true, but Radley’s still in Seattle helping a new group.”

“What kind of group?” Sawyer asked. “Contractors? Private security?”

“A little of both,” Riley said. “At the moment, she’s working with a group of former Delta Force soldiers, mostly providing intel to them, but they’re standing up a new west coast office, which she’ll be a part of.”

A brief flicker of recognition sparked in the back of his mind.

Sawyer’s commanding officer wasn’t a part of it, but Commander Slate “Striker” Hutchinson, who headed up the Coronado Alpha SEAL teams, had a brother in black ops.

Jett Hutchinson was a former Delta who ran the Shadow Ops Team out of New York.

They were opening a West Coast office in Seattle, but. ..nah.

It couldn’t be.

What the hell would Riley know about that?

Uneasiness wound through him. No one knew about the new office, save for the Shadow Ops guys themselves and a handful of SEALs and current military servicemembers they associated with. How many former Delta Force guys were starting an office on the West Coast? He’d bet he knew the answer.

“We’ve got to get to base soon,” Riley said, interrupting his thoughts. “Let’s eat, and then we can get ready.”

He smiled. “You want me to eat, do you?”

She gently swatted his chest. “Behave.”

Sawyer flashed her a knowing look. “I happen to know for a fact you prefer when I don’t behave. But, duty calls, I suppose. I’ve got regular PT this morning but can swing by to pick you up.”

“I’ll meet you there,” she told him. “There’s no need to do extra driving back and forth. I’ll do some research here and update my DOD contact since I was a bit, uh, busy last night.”

Sawyer searched her face but saw no hint of regret there. His gaze ran over her. “I figured you’d have more tattoos,” he admitted, a slow smile spreading across his face as he recalled exploring every inch of her body.

“Nope. Just the two. And you don’t have any?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Negative, sweetheart. Maybe I should get a big one that says “Riley” right across my chest.”

“You do that.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he said with a chuckle.

Sawyer’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it free from his back pocket, scanning over the message. “Well, hell. It seems I have to get onto base sooner rather than later. Rain check on breakfast?”

Her face fell slightly, but she nodded.

Sawyer moved closer, taking her face between his hands and kissing her thoroughly. “I’d rather stay with you, but the commander has an update. I can’t bring you into the secure areas, but you could wait in a different spot, and I’ll fill you in.”

“Let’s do it,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.”