SEAL's Embrace - Makenna Jameison Page 0,40
they were worried and wanted to come with you out here since you were recovering,” he said with a shrug. “At least let them know you’re staying with me instead of the hotel.”
Her eyes softened as she looked over at him. “I told them how you saved me. My mom of course wanted to meet you immediately,” she said, flushing.
Grayson smiled then reached over and took her hand, squeezing it lightly. “I’d like to meet her someday.” Their gazes locked for a moment, but then the light turned green, and he looked back to the road and pulled forward.
“I’m just up here on the next block.”
“Wow, you really are close by. My apartment’s in the opposite direction of the hotel.”
Grayson noticed she pulled her phone from her bag, presumably texting her mom, and his lips quirked.
Hell. When had he ever talked to a woman about her parents? He didn’t know the first thing about the last woman he’d been with, aside from the fact that she worked at a country bar. With Hailey, he wanted to know everything. It had been several years since Grayson had been in a serious relationship, and maybe his strong feelings toward Hailey should’ve scared the hell out of him, but instead it just felt right.
He wanted to protect her. Take care of her. Yes, she was independent, but at the moment? She needed him, and something about that made him feel ten feet tall.
She sneezed beside him, grabbing some tissues from her bag. “I hope you don’t catch whatever I do. You don’t want to get sick for your missions or whatever.”
“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. I just want you to get better. I’ve got some soup and dried goods at my place, but I do need to run to the grocery store. The guys and I just got back last night, so I’m out of most things in my fridge.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, blowing her nose. “You probably need to unpack and get things done, not be taking care of me.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he chided. “I wouldn’t have offered for you to come over if I didn’t want you there.”
“I know, it’s just—this is nuts,” she said with a laugh.
“Well, if you’re wondering, I’ve never kept in touch with anyone I’ve rescued before. My team goes all over the world, as you can probably imagine. I’ve never visited anyone I saved in the hospital or called them every night on the phone.”
“I just worry this is happening so quickly,” she said, shaking her head. Grayson looked over at her, concerned, but she was smiling. Maybe it was as fast as hell, but they seemed to be on the same page. And it’s not like he was taking her home to rip her clothes off or something. She was sick and needed to rest. And while he may have been happy to immediately bed a woman in the past, he didn’t want that with her. She was way more than a quick fuck. The women he usually met in bars were more than happy for just a night together. They liked the allure of bedding a SEAL, of dating a Navy guy.
Hailey wasn’t like that at all. She hadn’t come on to him. She’d actually blushed when he’d first noticed her in her office. And he’d gone to her in the cafeteria on base—not the other way around.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and he noticed she still had the two tiny earrings on. Somehow her jewelry was sexy as hell to him—he wanted to see her naked on his bed someday, with nothing on but her earrings and other adornments.
His cock hardened, and he shifted his attention back to the road. This wasn’t the time or place to be thinking about Hailey in his bed. He had no idea how long she’d usually date a man before sleeping with him, but he wasn’t in a rush.
“Hmm, that’s weird,” she murmured, looking at her phone.
“What?” he asked, glancing over before he pulled into a parking spot at his building.
“Just a weird text. It’s says ‘Be careful,’ but I don’t know who it’s from.”
Grayson frowned. “Wrong number?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. This is a new phone, but I’ve had this number forever. I was actually amazed I could keep the number, but somehow the guy at the store transferred it.” She looked up at his apartment. “So this is it, huh?”
“Yep,” he said with a grin. “Right by the beach.”
“Nice. I should’ve thought