Page 4 of SEAL’s Paradise (Alpha SEALs Hawaii #6)

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S AWYER SHOOK HIS HEAD , running a hand over the stubble on his jaw. Riley, quiet little waitress Riley, was claiming she was some undercover operative. A former Fed. He was hesitant to believe her based on their past interactions, but how the hell would she know everything that she did then?

His personal information could’ve been found with a little digging.

The SEAL team didn’t have social media accounts, but basic information on just about anyone could be easily accessed online.

His full name. Date of birth. Hometown and relatives.

It was part of the reason why the team kept a low profile.

There was no need to connect a name to a face.

Blow their cover. Dangerous people were out there, enemies of America, and they’d love to take down a Navy SEAL team ready to move in on a mission.

Sawyer and his teammates operated under stealth and secrecy.

Their own friends and families couldn’t know details about where they were and what they were doing.

Just about everything they did was too highly classified to reveal anything.

But Riley knew about their latest op.

The team’s mission to rescue Avery in the Darien Gap hadn’t been leaked to the press.

They’d debriefed with their commanding officer upon return, and Avery was safe at home.

Her roommate Luciana, from Avery’s Doctors Without Borders work, was another story.

The Colombian nurse had gone missing, and the team had been forced to leave with only one woman.

There was absolutely no way Riley would know about Luciana’s disappearance unless she was telling the truth.

She had access to classified information.

The question was, was someone feeding it to her without authorization or had Riley really been working undercover the entire time?

And didn’t that bring about a whole host of issues.

Glancing at the time on his phone, he was half-tempted to head back to the party.

His teammates would still be there, and Sawyer now had a shitload of information to tell them.

Except he still had questions. Gaps in his knowledge of what Riley was doing in Hawaii.

And Sawyer could just as easily fill his teammates in later—once he knew more and had gotten the answers from her that he deserved.

Sawyer’s lips quirked as he read over Riley’s message and thumbed a response.

Behave tonight?

Like hell he would.

She’d been playing him all along, pretending to be a waitress at Coconuts.

This new version of Riley intrigued him.

She was still a touch shy beneath that bravado—the flush of her cheeks proved that.

The slight hesitation at moments. The way she didn’t know how to handle him.

But this version of Riley was sexier, too.

The tight clothes. The mystery tattoo. The fact that she’d texted him at all.

Recalling again the hint of pink on her cheeks, Sawyer wondered if she flushed like that everywhere.

He could imagine getting Riley all worked up.

Teasing her. Touching her. Giving her the barest of caresses while she squirmed for him.

Sawyer would let his mouth whisper across her skin.

Let his hands roam. And Riley would give in to him, until she was begging and pleading and crying out his name.

Sawyer licked his lips. Sweet little Riley had no idea what she was in for.

Maybe she was used to handling assets, to giving instructions and calling the shots, but Sawyer knew she would falter at handling him.

She’d get flustered. Look at him with those big, dark eyes that were somehow innocent despite the life she’d led.

And Sawyer would give her good reason to forget about the rest of the world for a while and become the sole focus of his attention.

Hell if he didn’t want to see everything she had to offer. To strip her bare and explore her body. Tease out the reason she hadn’t revealed herself to him until now.

What had changed? Was it really just that time was running out?

Riley knew they were highly trained Navy SEALs. He might’ve been her initial suspect for the traitor on base, but she’d been working at Coconuts for a long time. She’d moved her focus off him yet was clearly used to relying on herself now. To working alone.

He smiled, thinking of how well a man and woman could work together. In a multitude of ways.

Sawyer needed a game plan for tonight. Drinks.

A quiet dinner near the beach. Maybe a second date if things went well.

Riley wasn’t exactly the type of woman who’d be begging him to take her to bed after one evening together.

This woman would be more of a challenge, and he was one hundred percent up for it.

Sometimes the shy girls could be the most intriguing to discover, and damn if this one didn’t have secrets.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and he looked down, expecting to see another text from Riley.

Instead, his team leader’s name flashed on the screen.

Wyatt “Wildcard” Miller no doubt wondered what was up, but Wyatt wouldn’t have been a good leader without checking up on one of his men.

Not with the way Sawyer had hustled out of the party earlier.

Wyatt: Everything okay?

He smirked and thumbed a response.

Sawyer: Yep. Riley needed my help with something. I’ll explain when I know more.

Sawyer: I’m taking her out tonight.

He chuckled as his phone buzzed again, but this time it was Hudson “Torpedo” Brown’s name that popped up.

Sawyer shook his head. His buddies were all together, and Wyatt had no doubt quickly filled them in on this new development.

They had to be as puzzled as he’d been that she’d contacted him at all.

Hudson: You’re shitting us. You’re taking out Riley? The waitress from Coconuts?

Sawyer shook his head, chuckling. Jesus. Why didn’t the whole damn team just text him? That’s what he got for rushing off from the party to Riley’s aid. His friends wouldn’t question if she needed help given they watched out for friends and acquaintances alike, but a date?

Totally different ballgame.

Hudson: Tell me you don’t have a head injury or something.

Sawyer muttered under his breath.

Sawyer: Did you know she has a tattoo of a dagger?

Hudson: Did you sleep with her already? Tell me it’s on her ass.

Sawyer: No, asshole. It’s on her wrist.

Hudson: Well, when you get busy with her, I want the deets.

Sawyer: I’m busy making plans for tonight. Go bother your baby mama.

Hudson: Sure thing, buddy. Layton’s much better company than you.

Sawyer heard an engine rev in the parking lot, and as he looked in the rearview mirror, was surprised to see Riley gunning it out of there. The tires on her convertible squealed and gravel flew as she raced back onto the highway, speeding out of sight.

Getting as far away from him as quickly as she could.

Sawyer chuckled.

If he did end up working with her to find the alleged traitor on base, they’d be seeing lots and lots of each other. More than Riley probably realized. And that suited him just fine.

***

R ILEY CROSSED THE BEDROOM of the condo she was renting, the gauzy white curtains blowing in the breeze.

She felt jittery. Nervous, even. And it was all because of the man on his way to her home in a few short hours.

She was in way over her head with Sawyer.

Way, way over her head. Ironic, because she’d been trained to handle all situations.

To deal with all types of people. To keep her cool and maintain her professionalism.

So why did she practically stumble over her own two feet when he was around?

Riley had always been far too aware of his presence. His laughter at the bar. That knowing little smirk. Even his body seemed to give off some type of masculine energy, drawing her to him. Making her notice him far too much. He was merciless when he chased after a woman he wanted.

And today?

He’d been looking at her earlier like he’d be happy to eat her right up.

Pulling open the closet door, she scanned through her clothes.

The shorts and Coconuts tee shirts she wore to the bar lined one section.

Her own casual, summery wear was next. And to the far right were her array of sexy little outfits.

Skimpy dresses. Miniskirts. Low-cut tops.

Sometimes you got more intel by dressing the part.

Here in Hawaii with a bunch of sailors and vacationers, looking like a fun-loving tourist worked best. When she wasn’t working at Coconuts, that is.

But tonight was different.

Her hand ran over the hangers. She had some pretty, tropical sundresses.

Beachy things. Riley wanted to “wow” Sawyer tonight though.

Regain the upper hand. Maybe she’d distract him enough in a skintight dress that he’d forget to ask too many questions.

Focus on their “date” and not worry too much about the help she required of him.

Riley was running out of time, and she needed to find the best angle to get him to fully agree to cooperate with her.

Sawyer didn’t fit any profile. You’d never categorize a man like him in a neat little box.

He was the kind of guy who was larger than life.

Friendly and flirty, but it was the keen intelligence lurking beneath his cocky exterior that got to her.

He understood people. Maybe he acted like he was nothing but a womanizer and flirt, but there was more hidden beneath, and he only shared it with a precious few.

He was interesting. A dichotomy. And she knew she’d never get him to agree to help her without going along with his proposal for a date tonight.

Inexplicably, nerves skittered through her again.

She wasn’t going to hop into bed with him.

Although she knew he’d never turn her down if she offered, Riley also didn’t think he expected that.

He could’ve just as easily suggested an afternoon romp if that was all he was after.

He seemed to actually want answers, and in a way, that complicated things even more.

There was only so much she was willing to reveal.

Selecting a slinky black dress, Riley eyed her shoes. Some sexy, heeled sandals would work. Hopefully he wasn’t thinking they’d go for a moonlit stroll along the beach. She needed Sawyer’s cooperation, not to seduce the man.

Still, she should be prepared for whatever he had in mind. Crossing back through her bedroom, she grabbed her cell.

Riley: Where are we going for dinner tonight?

Sawyer: I can’t wait to see you either, kitten.

Riley: Sawyer.

Sawyer: Easy now. We haven’t even gotten started. No need to start crying out my name...yet.

Riley: I’m not sleeping with you.

Sawyer: A guy can hope. Pretty please?

She huffed out a sigh, exasperated.

Riley: Be serious. I’m trying to figure out what to wear tonight.

Sawyer: I made reservations at a swanky little place overlooking the water. Wear whatever you want—or nothing at all. I wouldn’t complain. ;)

Riley flushed, her hands trembling. This man. He was literally going to be the end of her.

Sawyer: And I was dead serious, kitten.

Riley: About?

Sawyer: I’d love to hear you crying out my name.

“Augh!” Flustered, she tossed her phone onto her bed.

He was going to be impossible to work with.

Life was so much easier when she suspected him as being in on the plot to steal military weapons.

Missiles had gone missing. He seemed the perfect fit to schmooze the buyer.

Talk it up. Convince them the situation was under control.

Following Sawyer around had gotten her exactly nowhere, and now she’d need to pull more shifts at Coconuts to quickly narrow down her other suspects.

At least many of the sailors stationed here were consistent—happy to frequent the same bar night after night. She’d find one of the traitors. And she needed Sawyer’s help to find the other.

Her eyes landed on the clock on her nightstand once more. She needed to call Radley. Maybe tomorrow after she convinced Sawyer to help her. She was about ninety-nine percent sure he would and had a feeling this “date” he insisted on was just to give him an opportunity to get her in bed.

Riley wasn’t going to let him sway her, not when she’d already decided the answered was no. She could have dinner with him though. Drinks. Share some intel in case he was still questioning whether any of this was real.

And after tonight? They’d get to work, narrowing down their suspects. The information she had was solid, and they needed answers before their three-week deadline was up.