Page 3 of SEAL’s Paradise (Alpha SEALs Hawaii #6)
Present Day
“W HY ME?” SAWYER ASKED , his gaze on Riley. Her lips parted, but she didn’t say anything, and he got the sense that she was deciding how much to reveal. At least with her sunglasses now atop her head, he could better read her expression.
And hell.
Those deep brown eyes might just be the end of him.
How had he never noticed how sexy she was before?
He’d always thought she was pretty, sure, but this version of her?
Holy hell. It was her shift in attitude that had his attention now.
The tight clothes. The tattoo he’d somehow missed.
His gaze ran over her bare arms, and he wondered if she had ink anywhere else on her body.
It sure would be fun to find out.
“Stop checking me out,” she chided.
He grinned. “No can do, kitten. You’re a beautiful woman.”
He wasn’t imagining the slight trace of pink suddenly heating her cheeks.
His grin widened, and he watched as she tried to compose herself.
“The other men on your team play by the rules,” she told him.
They have women in their lives. Girlfriends, fiancées.
I need someone who’s not afraid to toe the line, maybe cross it if necessary. ”
Sawyer chuckled. “And your options landed on me.”
“If the shoe fits.” She pursed her lips again, and his eyes were drawn to that sexy pout.
He could imagine lots of things he’d like to do with that mouth.
He didn’t doubt she’d smack him right now if he suggested any.
Pity they were here to talk shop. He could think of a number of ways better suited to spend their time.
“I need help, Sawyer. Time is running out, and you’re already on the inside. I could probably drum up fake credentials and gain access to base, but that will take time we don’t have anymore. You’re already there.”
He cocked his head, studying her. “Why don’t you work for the government anymore? Piss off too many Feds?”
“Something like that,” she murmured.
“Prove that you’re who you say you are,” he challenged.
“Your last mission wasn’t entirely a success.”
Sawyer raised his eyebrows, and Riley continued. “Your team deployed to South America and saved Avery, Ryan’s girlfriend, but you didn’t save the other nurse. Luciana is still missing, most likely in the hands of a cartel.”
His jaw ticked. “You could’ve heard us talking about it. While our missions are classified, Avery is a civilian just like you.”
“Your birthday is June 7. You’re an only child. You joined the Navy fresh out of high school and were top of your class in BUD/S. Should I share your height, weight, and rank, too?”
“I’m listening,” he said, his voice steel.
“I need to find the people involved in this. There’s one person who’s in contact with the buyer, whose messages we’ve intercepted. That’s the suspect I believe frequents the bar.”
“The guy who looks like me,” Sawyer taunted. “Shouldn’t be too hard to find.”
She glared at him. “Except I need evidence. A name. I don’t know where he’s going, who he’s meeting, or who else is involved.
Once I find the correct sailor, I’ll still need to conduct surveillance.
He’s not transporting those missiles alone.
They’re loaded onto a vehicle, concealed, and somehow shipped offshore.
We originally suspected the buyer was meeting to assist in the transport, but new intelligence has shown the buyer is not on the island. ”
“Do you have an exact date of the next shipment?”
“Negative, just a basic timeline. I need to find the man at the bar, and I need you to locate who he’s working with. It’s someone who has access to the munitions storage and could get away with photographing weapons before he steals them.”
“Hmmmm.”
She stared at him. “It’s clearly a servicemember or contractor who has clearance to enter base. Someone who could assist with smuggling out weapons and then offloading them onto a boat to sneak them out of the country.”
“It seems like someone would notice if a damn missile went AWOL, kitten,” Sawyer quipped.
“It does. Someone is covering it up. I don’t know how, but it’s happening. Weapons have disappeared, and the buyer is planning to purchase more. We don’t know how big this web of criminals is.”
“There’s security at the harbors,” Sawyer protested. “How the hell are they sneaking a goddamn missile out of Oahu?”
“There is security,” Riley agreed. “And the ‘how’ is just one of many questions I need answers to. I’ve been working alone, but I need someone on the inside.”
He eyed her carefully, the silence stretching between them. Sawyer finally cleared his throat. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
***
R ILEY BLEW OUT A SIGH as she sat in the driver’s seat of her convertible ten minutes later. That had gone better than expected, but Sawyer wanted more answers from her. Her mind tracked back over their conversation moments ago.
“I need information on who has access to where munitions are stored,” Riley said. “I know you can’t watch twenty-four-seven, but someone is hanging around there. They’d provided photos to the buyer, so I know they’re not just accessing the information through computer systems.”
“Tell you what,” Sawyer quipped as he eyed her appraisingly. “We’ll talk shop after I find out some more info about you, kitten.”
She frowned, not liking where this was going.
“And how long would that take? Because we’re running out of time.
Another exchange of money for weapons is set to go down in three weeks, according to the messages we’ve intercepted.
We don’t have an exact date, but it’s happening.
How much more info from me do you need right now? ”
“I’ll take you out tonight,” he said, seeming unbothered. “Get to know you better. And then I’ll decide if I can trust you—only then will I help you,” he said, nailing her with his gaze.
“Take me out? I’m not going on a date with you,” she protested.
“Then I guess we’re done here.”
Her jaw dropped as he turned on his heel, his long legs taking him further away from her with every step.
And goodness if he didn’t look good in the jeans he wore.
The denim hugged his tight ass and muscled thighs.
Boots peeked out from beneath his pant legs.
It wasn’t what men normally wore around Oahu, but this was Sawyer.
A freaking enigma. Damn him for making this more complicated than it needed to be.
“Sawyer—wait!” she called out.
Sawyer looked back and flashed her a cocky grin, pausing in the gravel lot.
She tried to ignore the way he filled out his tee shirt, all hard muscle and tightly-leashed strength.
Even now, he stood out in stark contrast to the other families and people milling about the fruit stand and parking lot.
He was arrogant and good-looking. In perfect physical condition.
And right now, much to her dismay, he held all the cards.
“Something you wanted to say, kitten?” he asked.
“Fine. We'll go on a date together. One. Date.”
“Now that sounds better,” he said, his grin widening as he sauntered back toward her. “You owe me. You’ve been lying to us all along—pretending to be someone you’re not. Do you even have a daughter?”
She blanched.
“Well?” he asked, cocking a brow.
“No.”
“Exactly. You’ve been pretending to be a single mother and waitress, and I don’t know the first damn real thing about you.
If I agree to help you with this, I want to know who you are.
Everything. I’m not risking my career for your fine ass if I don’t know the whole of it. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“I’ll meet you—”
Sawyer cut her off. “No. We’re doing this my way, or we’re not doing it at all. I’ll pick the place and make the plans. And I’m definitely picking you up. It is a real date after all,” he chided, clearly enjoying this far too much.
She huffed out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll text you my address.”
“Now that’s better, kitten. Think I can get lucky tonight?” he asked, his eyes dancing with amusement and clear male interest.
Flustered, she stammered out a response as he chuckled.
Why did she act so tongue-tied around Sawyer half the time?
Riley was a professional. You’d never know it when he was in the same room.
She shouldn’t let him rattle her so much, yet somehow, it happened every damn time.
“I’ll see you tonight,” she finally said, getting back into her convertible before he could help her.
She could certainly get in her own vehicle without Sawyer’s panty-dropping personality trying to assist.
“Can’t wait,” he said with a grin, closing the driver’s side door for her before she could stop him.
He gave her a little salute, then walked away, looking far too sexy for his own good.
Screw him and his playboy ways.
Meeting him tonight could be a mistake, but she was running out of options. She could narrow down the possibilities of the man who frequented Coconuts by herself. She’d been focused on Sawyer but had a couple of other guys in mind to consider.
Except Riley didn’t have a damn clue who the second traitor could be.
She gripped the steering wheel, her mind focusing back on the present. That entire conversation had left her somewhat shaken up, and Sawyer seemed to love getting the one up on her.
Typical man.
All of the men on his team were alpha males used to being in charge, controlling the situation and commanding every room they entered.
Sawyer was someone who craved control. She could see that.
Riley blinked as a sudden thought startled her—the idea of Sawyer taking control in bed.
Pinning her down as he kissed her thoroughly.
Spreading her legs as he positioned himself.
Sliding inside as she gasped in pure pleasure.
Riley shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
What was she thinking? She’d never have sex with Sawyer.
A man like him was dangerous. He wouldn’t hurt her in the physical sense, but she’d also be nothing more than another notch on his bedpost before he moved on to the next woman who caught his eye.
How many women had he taken home in the past? She hardly dared to wonder. She’d seen Sawyer in action at Coconuts. Was he all talk or was he really bedding a new woman every week?
Riley sucked in a breath as the Hawaiian breeze blew through her hair.
The air was warm. Salty. Freaking magnificent.
She pulled her hair back into a ponytail so it didn’t whip in her face as she drove along the highway, then started the engine.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, she realized her face was flushed, her eyes bright.
And Sawyer was climbing into his pickup truck across the lot, damn near looking like sex on a stick.
A moment later, she saw the brake lights on the back light up.
He’d started the engine but hadn’t left yet.
He was waiting for her text, and she’d been sitting here, stalling.
Grabbing her phone, she sent him her address, then shot off another message.
Riley: Thanks for meeting me this afternoon, Sawyer Cole Collins.
Sawyer: Fucking hell. No one calls me that except my mama.
She laughed, a certain sense of glee filling her chest. Score one for her.
Riley: Behave yourself tonight. We will be working together after all.
She could almost imagine him drawling his response.
Sawyer: Now where’s the fun in that?