Hemingway - Zoe Dawson Page 0,17

tongue in cheek because nothing is easy about this training. We won’t give you a trident. That is earned, but it’s months away and for some of you, it’ll be nothing but a fleeting memory after you quit.” He crouched down, the aquamarine of the pool behind him looking inviting right now. “Push ‘em out.” After those were finished, he said, “Recover.”

Everyone rose and reformed into their boat crews.

“We’re going back to basics, since this is the end of basic orientation. You’re all going to take the screening test and if you fail, I will wipe your baby tears and pat your back as you get booted out of here.”

Hemingway performed well, his five-hundred-yard swim done in just over seven minutes; a hundred sit-ups, ninety push-ups, and twenty pull-ups put him near the top of the class. After the screening test, they ran to chow and ate, but Hemingway was still hungry as they filed into the classroom for an introduction to procedures, protocols, customs and to start understanding the ethos of this warrior class.

Taking a seat near the front, Hemingway pulled out the required paper and pencil to take notes. The room reeked almost instantly of sweat, chlorine and soggy clothing. Instructor T entered, calling them to their feet with an echoing shout from the class.

“Drop.”

Hemingway once again fought for real estate in the crowded room. In the future, when the class started thinning, there would be fewer men to battle with. After completing their twenty, T allowed them to recover and take their seats with a resounding hoo-yah.

The sound of the door opening, followed by cool air filtering into the room, made Hemingway shiver. The measured footsteps down the row was met with silence. Why wasn’t Lane shouting out the instructor’s name? Hemingway saw more push-ups coming his way.

Then Instructor T spoke just as an appreciative murmur fell over the room.

“Class. This is videographer Shea Palmer. She will be going through this training with us to film for a documentary on SEAL training. She will be treated with all due respect as she works among you. You are free to answer her questions, but don’t let me catch you goofing off or slacking in any way. Is that clear?”

“Hoo-yah, Instructor T.”

The sound of her footsteps faltered as she came abreast of him. He turned his head as the scent of her perfume washed over him in a sensual rush. Looking up, he collided with her wide-eyed gaze.

Oh, fuck me, he thought. It’s The Babe.

She’d just walked into his reality right out of his fever dreams.

4

She shouldn’t have been looking for anything the night she slept with him, but she’d needed what he’d given her. Now, here she was, locked up with the man she’d had sex with. For several seconds they stared at each other. Shea averted her eyes and continued to the front of the room, Instructor T giving her an interested stare. Every male assessed her, looked her over, and made their own on-the-spot snap decision about her. Maybe her one-night stand didn’t even remember her.

“Muster numbers, Mister Lane.”

“One hundred and forty-seven assigned, Instructor T. All present minus two at medical and three DORs after the screening test,” the man said, and she could only guess he must be the OIC, Officer in Charge of the class. She knew DOR meant “Drop on Request” where the candidate said he wanted to quit, then rung the bell three times.

This was a big class, and she could identify the ones who thought she was a babe and couldn’t get past her looks, the ones who wondered if this chick could keep up with them during grueling hours of training, and the rest held their judgment. There had been no woman ever to set foot on these hallowed male beaches.

The only exception was the man she’d given her body and gone all the way. There was nothing but a light of awareness, curiosity and anticipation in his eyes, dosed with a healthy amount of wariness. And his name stenciled on his white shirt…Sinclair.

She didn’t blame him. What he was about to go through would take all the concentration he had. She had her own agenda, and she did her own assessing for who in this room could be one of the New World Order just waiting to do harm to these guys who wanted nothing more than to become SEALs and serve their country. She was going to make sure they got that chance.

“Okay, guys. Pay attention. This is