SEAL's Desire (Alpha SEALs Coronado #1) - Makenna Jameison Page 0,34
handed her some kind of plastic, and she awkwardly slid it on. She probably looked ridiculous, but she didn’t want the bandage to get wet.
A loud crack of thunder boomed, and then the rain began to heavily fall.
“Let’s head over to those larger trees,” Blake said, and then they were jogging toward an area slightly more covered. Blake got the tarp back out of his backpack, managing to quickly rig it up over some low branches. The two of them sank to the damp ground, watching as the sky opened around them.
The sounds of the rain pouring down were interspersed with the chatter of monkeys and chirps of birds and insects. “Wow, listen to all that,” she said, looking around in wonder. It was oddly peaceful sitting here in the middle of the storm, listening to the sounds of nature. “What?” she asked, catching the expression on his face.
“Nothing.” But his lips quirked.
“Oh come on. We’re stuck out here together waiting out the storm. Now you have to tell me.”
He lifted a shoulder, flashing her an easy grin. “You. You’re excited over the sounds of animals and a rainstorm.”
“I’m a biologist,” she protested.
“I know. You’re just…different than most women I know.”
She lightly elbowed him with her good arm. “You were teasing me for dating the wrong types of men, but it works both ways. You’re an outdoorsy guy—athletic, clearly. Adventurous. You’ve been with the wrong women.”
“Guilty as charged,” he agreed with a low chuckle. “But everyone is young and foolish once.”
“How old are you anyway?” she asked, looking over at him.
“Thirty-two.” He took a swig of his water, and her eyes trailed over the dark stubble on his jaw. For such a ruggedly handsome guy, he had the decency to look a tiny bit sheepish at the moment. Not that he’d ever admit to that. “How old are you?” he asked, nailing her with those dark eyes.
“Twenty-eight.”
He nodded, appearing to think that over.
“Now what?” she asked with another laugh.
“My buddies and I meet a lot of college-aged women. They’re into drinking and a good time, mostly.” He shrugged. “I guess I’ve grown up.”
“I’d say so,” she said with a laugh. “You’re a decade older than them.”
“Yep. Ain’t that the truth.”
“Well, anyway. I came here to study the rainforest. So of course I don’t mind sitting here for a little while. It’s beautiful. I liked it more before I was kidnapped though.”
Blake muttered under his breath. “Understatement of the year, I’d say.”
She leaned back against the bark of the tree, enjoying the feeling of Blake at her side. Funny how she’d been afraid just a little while ago, but after rushing through the rain, she felt more like her old self again. Like she was on an adventure, not on the run from some bad guys.
“I guess this will slow down our rescue,” she said.
“Yep. We can keep moving, but damn. We’ll end up soaking wet, and the storm won’t exactly help in establishing communications. We might as well wait for it to blow over. So what made you come down here all alone?” he asked. “I mean flying off to Colombia for research and all.”
“I’m writing an academic paper. I don’t really have close friends at the university—not people that I’d travel with at any rate. I wanted to conduct my own research, so here I am.”
“Funny, because I never go anywhere alone.”
“Except camping,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, you’re right. I meant when I pack up and leave the country, my team is with me. I make decisions for the entire group. And even then, we’re not on our own—I’ve got communications set up with an entire slew of people. I’m in contact with the U.S. military. Usually.”
“Well, if I was chasing after terrorists, I’d want a team of tough guys with me, too.”
Blake chuckled. “They’d love that—being called a group of tough guys.”
She looked over and smiled, enjoying the brief moment of levity between them. “Are they like you?”
“Some of them. The younger guys are still into chasing after women every weekend. You’d like Troy and Grayson—they’re funny but fun-loving and always up for an adventure. Jackson is more of the strong, silent type. I think most women tend to be a little scared of him. Not that he’d ever harm a woman. And Ethan and Logan? Well, they’d probably chase after anything in a skirt.”
“But you guys are all close.”
“We have to be,” he agreed. “We work and train together. Live together when we’re on an op. I’d trust