SEAL's Embrace - Makenna Jameison Page 0,26

I’ll text you when I get home. Whenever you get a new cell, you can call or text me back. And I’m serious—let me know when you’re moving, because we’ll be there to help. I can’t wait to see you again.”

She nodded, feeling uncertain, and Grayson ducked down and softly brushed his lips over her forehead. Sparks shot straight through her at his touch, and as he stood up and said goodbye, she knew she’d never be the same again.

Chapter 7

Four days later, Grayson jogged along the beach with his teammates in Coronado. They’d met up at five in the morning for PT, before they went onto base for the day, and his heart was pumping as he pushed himself harder.

It had been days since he’d seen Hailey back in Germany. He’d texted her when he got home, knowing he wouldn’t hear from her for a while, but now he was getting antsy. Even though she’d been injured, it wasn’t severe. He knew they’d be sending her home sooner rather than later, and he probably hadn’t heard from her because she hadn’t gotten a new phone yet.

Cursing to himself, he watched his teammates playfully joking with one another as they finished their run.

Hell.

Normally he didn’t mind shooting the shit with them, but he was tense as hell now. Anxious to know that Hailey had gotten back to the States all right. And wasn’t that an uncomfortable feeling. Normally he had women chasing after him. Hell, Shawna had been practically pawing at him when they’d gotten back from Colombia. That of course had fizzled out as quickly as it had started, but damn. He wasn’t used to worrying about a woman, much less one he wouldn’t even see for weeks.

He knew things would progress slowly with Hailey, but he welcomed it. Relished the idea of getting to know her simply by dating. She seemed like the type of woman who wouldn’t let just any man into her life or bed, and he loved the idea of patiently getting to know her and breaking down all her walls.

And then?

The idea of letting the heat simmer between them before finally making her his was appealing as hell. He’d had plenty of hot and heavy relationships in the past, but after the initial “wow” factor in the bedroom, they’d fizzled out immediately.

He was ready to explore something different this time around, because damn if a woman hadn’t intrigued him as much as Hailey in a long time. He’d been scared when he’d carried her out of her building in Afghanistan, but when he’d seen for himself that she was okay at the hospital in Germany?

Heat had coursed through him. He’d taken her hand in his, unable to resist touching her. And wasn’t that a shock—normally he’d be kissing a woman intensely after meeting her at a bar, then taking her home to his bed.

He’d actually gone out and bought Hailey flowers. Him.

Imagining kissing her, undressing her, and slowly exploring her body was making his groin tighten. If the chemistry between them so far was any indication, when they finally made love, it would be explosive.

“Yo, Ghost!” Troy called out, drawing him out of his musings. “Over here!”

Glancing up, he realized his teammates had finished their stretches and were heading back to the parking lot. Damn. He needed to get his head in the game. He stopped along with them after their run but was standing there like a lovestruck fool or something.

“Any word from Hailey?” Blake asked, the corner of his mouth tugging up in a smile.

“Nope.”

The other men chuckled.

“You could check with the hospital,” Logan suggested. “Maybe she wasn’t released yet.”

“Nah. She’s probably back, just getting reacclimated to life here. She’s staying with her parents, so I’m not too concerned. It’s not like she’s alone somewhere without anyone to help her while she heals. Hopefully she’ll get a new cell phone soon. I sent her a text the other day but haven’t heard back.”

“Maybe she’s ghosting you,” Ethan said, his lips quirking.

Troy guffawed. “A woman ghosting Ghost? You can’t make this shit up.”

“She’s not ghosting me,” Grayson ground out. “She lost half her stuff in the bombing, including her phone.”

“We know,” Blake assured him. “She’s been through a hell of a lot, especially considering she’s a civilian and didn’t sign up for any of that. We’re just not used to seeing you pining away over a woman.”

“Who said I’m pining?” Grayson asked with a chuckle as they walked back toward the parking lot.