SEAL's Desire (Alpha SEALs Coronado #1) - Makenna Jameison Page 0,32

stream like it’s no big deal.”

“Hell. You’ve been with the wrong men, sweetheart,” Blake said as he stood. His eyes sparked with amusement as he handed her the canteen back. Was it his imagination, or was there a hint of a flush creeping across her cheeks? “My buddies and I camp, skydive, deploy in all sorts of conditions. You’re too adventurous for those academic types of yours.”

His fingers brushed against hers as she took the bottle, and he cleared his throat.

She was beautiful, no doubt, but the way she’d flushed under his gaze was arousing as hell. Briefly, he imagined her blushing like that as he slowly undressed her, kissing his way across her creamy skin.

For such a confident woman, she seemed a bit shy. And it was appealing as hell knowing he could make her blush that way. He’d barely said anything at all.

He shook his head, turning away.

Falling into bed with Clarissa would happen exactly never, so there was no sense in torturing himself with the image of her naked in his bed. Or wondering how she’d react to his boldness. And since when did he want women in his bed anyway? Usually he spent the night at their place since it was easier to leave the next morning.

Clarissa sleeping with his things last night appealed to his base instincts though. Maybe he hadn’t been there holding her, but to know she’d used his blanket and sweatshirt?

There was something sexy as hell about it.

He grabbed the water purification tablets from his backpack, tossing them to her without thinking. Again, he winced as she caught them one-handed. “I’m catching on to you, Blake,” she teased. “No pun intended.”

“Sorry to forget about your wrist. You’re not complaining about it at all, so it slipped my mind for a second.”

She fumbled with the bottle, trying to open it, and he muttered a curse. After helping her, he put the extra tablets back in his backpack. “This stream should lead to the river.” He glanced up at the cloudy sky, barely visible through the thick canopy.

“Will the cloud cover hurt our chances?” she asked, astute as always.

“It shouldn’t. Just this damn foliage that’s a problem right here.”

“It’s beautiful,” she protested softly.

He glanced back, looking at her instead of the trees. “That it is,” he agreed, looking away before she could notice him staring.

“Then we’ll be out of here,” she said with a small smile.

“Yep,” he agreed. Her gaze met his, and he reached out and brushed a strand of that blonde hair off her face. “You doing okay?” he asked, searching her eyes.

He stood there a moment, looking down at her.

He needed to protect her while they were out here, not get distracted. Letting your mind drift was how men got hurt on missions. How injuries and mistakes happened. He needed to be alert and aware. Treat her like he would any other victim. Blake had a job to do, and if he failed to protect her because he was thinking with his dick, looking at her pretty blonde hair and knock-out curves, then what kind of man did that make him? A damn lousy SEAL, that was for sure.

Maybe he wanted her in all of the ways a man wanted a woman, but that didn’t matter. He had a job to do.

“I’m okay,” she said softly.

He nodded, looking into those green eyes for a beat longer. Hell. A man could get lost staring at a woman like her. Then he turned away, breaking whatever spell was between them. He couldn’t stand here by the water looking into her eyes all day long. He needed to finish his mission and get them both safely home.

***

Clarissa followed Blake further down the stream. He seemed in more of a rush than he had been earlier, but no doubt he was eager to get out of here.

Just as she was.

When they’d stood there briefly at the water’s edge, she’d sworn there’d been a moment pass between them. He’d looked in her eyes, brushed her hair back from her face—almost like a lover or something. Certainly not like a man tasked to simply get her out of there.

He was gruff and assertive as a Navy SEAL, but she could tell he had a softer side. Blake had been nothing but considerate towards her.

“I think we should reach the river in a mile or so. It’s not the widest part, but I might be able to get the sat phone working.”

“I hope so,” she said, looking up