SEAL's Desire (Alpha SEALs Coronado #1) - Makenna Jameison Page 0,28
hero straight out of an action movie didn’t matter.
What a bizarre way to end her trip. From hiking around collecting samples, to being kidnapped, to being rescued by a buff Navy SEAL.
It really did feel more like a movie than real life.
Combat boots appeared in her line of vision, and then Blake crouched down at the opening of her tent. “Oh good, you’re already awake,” he said in his deep voice. “Good morning,” he added, his lips quirking.
She flushed despite herself, feeling embarrassed. She probably looked frightful, with bedhead and rumpled clothes. Not to mention the fact that she’d barely slept in days. Blake managed to look ruggedly handsome. He had a day’s worth of stubble covering his chiseled jaw, but it only added to his appeal. His dark hair was shortly cropped, so it didn’t look messy the way hers did. And although she knew he couldn’t have gotten much sleep either, he looked almost rested and refreshed.
She probably looked like the “before” on all those makeover shows.
“Good morning,” she said softly.
“How are you feeling?”
“Good. My wrist still hurts, but like you said—I think it’s broken. There’s probably not much we can do until I see an actual doctor.”
He nodded, pressing his lips together. “I could try to make a splint for you.”
“A splint? From what?”
“A small tree branch. It might give you more support. I can use my knife to cut one down to size.”
“Right,” she said, feeling silly. They were literally surrounded by trees. Of course he wouldn’t be carrying extra medical supplies around with him, but as a SEAL, he was probably trained to improvise during combat. “I’ll let you know. It might just be stiff from sleeping.”
“Okay. Hopefully we’ll be out of here sooner rather than later. We’ve got actual medical supplies back at base. We can get you a proper splint before our flight back. Let’s eat something and then get moving.”
“Sounds good. Did you get any rest last night? I feel bad for using your things.”
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “I’ve slept in plenty of places that are worse than this. Trust me, you get used to grabbing a little shut eye whenever and wherever you can.”
“I guess the rainforest doesn’t seem so bad then.”
“Hell no. I camp at home, so it wasn’t too different—just sleeping without a tent, but I didn’t mind.”
“I like to camp but definitely use a sleeping bag and tent. I might be a biologist, but I just can’t sleep out in the open.”
Blake shrugged, his lips quirking. “It’s not so bad. I kind of like sleeping under the stars.”
“Yeah, I can see the appeal,” she agreed. Maybe if she camped with a boyfriend or something, she’d enjoy that. If she had a serious boyfriend. Her last few relationships had fizzled out as quickly as they began. Sleeping alone felt safer in a tent. But if she was curled up in a man’s arms under the stars?
That might just work.
“I just need to, uh, quick use the bathroom before we eat. The woods that is.”
He chuckled. “No problem. I’ll get out the protein bars and start packing things up. I’ve got some MREs in here, too.”
She scooted to the edge of the tent, surprised when Blake helped her to stand up. He’d removed his gloves sometime over the course of the night, and the touch of his hand on her skin sent unexpected shivers racing down her spine. His hands were rough, slightly calloused, but they were warm and strong. And he was as gentle as could be with her.
When she stood, she only came up to his shoulder. She was close—so close to him. Blake was nothing but a wall of muscles in front of her. Confident. Strong. He had a masculine, earthy scent to him. No doubt from being out here all night like her.
Blushing, she felt a little bit silly. What did this man think of her? She’d gotten herself kidnapped. Didn’t have any supplies. She was basically dependent on him for everything at the moment. Clarissa wasn’t used to feeling helpless. She’d flown down here alone, set up her camp, arranged for a guide.
And then needed a freaking Navy SEAL to come to her rescue.
“Just call out if you need anything. It should be safe,” he assured her. “I just meant if you see anyone.”
She nodded. “All right. I’ll be right back.”
Moving around him, she walked past a few trees. God, this was embarrassing knowing Blake was nearby. It was true she loved to camp,