SEAL's Desire (Alpha SEALs Coronado #1) - Makenna Jameison Page 0,40

the helicopter as she turned to look for Blake.

“I’ll come see you shortly,” he called out, looking at her with those dark eyes. “I need to debrief with my team.”

“Okay,” she said hesitantly.

The woman from the embassy was already asking her questions, all business as they walked away. Blake was talking to his teammates, and she already felt lost again. Forgotten. Not that it was his job to babysit her every step of the way, but she’d felt close to him earlier. He’d kissed her for God’s sake. Now they were out of the jungle, and life was already beginning to return back to normal.

Chapter 17

Blake moved away with his men, cursing. He’d wanted to make sure Clarissa was okay. He knew she was scared and didn’t have anything with her but the clothes on her back. He needed to check in with his CO though and get the SITREP from his men.

He’d gotten Clarissa here safely, which had after all been his goal. Now she had a doctor and someone from State here to help her. They’d get her situated while he got to work.

Why did it bother him so much that she’d been hustled away?

He cared about her, he realized. He wanted to see that her needs were met, that she was safe, and then introduce her to his team. There’d be time for that later he supposed, but damn. After not leaving her side for hours, he felt her loss acutely.

Not that he was about to admit that to his teammates.

“She was a looker,” Grayson joked as they headed toward the airplane hangar. “Don’t think we all missed those puppy-dog eyes she gave you.”

Troy chortled. “It’s not just her that’s head-over-heels. Our boy Raptor here kissed her before I hauled her up to the helo.”

The other men whooped and hollered, and Blake muttered under his breath.

“Attaboy!” Grayson said, grinning.

“Leave it to you to pick up a woman in the middle of the goddamn rainforest,” Ethan said.

“Enough joking around,” Blake ground out.

“How is she?” Jackson asked. Blake had given them the briefest of updates when he’d established communication on the sat phone. Otherwise, there was no way they’d be joking about a woman they’d rescued in a hostage situation.

As it was, his friends had to realize she wasn’t just any woman. It’s not like he usually went around kissing the women he rescued. Scratch that. It had never happened. And with all the waves of protectiveness washing over him right now? It was all he could do not to turn around and rush back to her side.

“She’s holding up pretty well, all things considered,” Blake said. He briefly gave them the rundown of their escape from the terrorists’ camp and what had happened earlier.

“Holy shit,” Logan said. “What made her come to the rainforest anyway? She was doing research or something?”

“She’s a biologist,” Blake said, grabbing the water bottle Ethan tossed his way as he sank down into a chair. He set his weapon and rucksack down on the ground, eyeing his dirty combat boots. “She loves nature and camping,” he added with a wry smile.

“So she’s the female version of you,” Grayson said. “Only better looking.”

The other men laughed, and Blake shook his head, taking a pull of the cool water. Let those guys rib him all they wanted. He’d been the one kissing her earlier, helping her undress by the stream. Not that he was about to tell any of them that.

“We have Abboud,” Troy said, catching Blake’s eye.

“Good. Damn too bad I missed it, but hell. At least I got Clarissa out of there.”

“The CO wants us to fly home ASAP. Another storm is blowing in tonight though, so the pilot wants to leave at oh-six-hundred tomorrow.”

Blake rolled his shoulders, looking at his team. “I can work with that. Grab a shower and a hot meal, then crash.” Instantly, Clarissa’s face flashed through his mind. Would she want to eat with them? Sleep near them? Hell, he’d love to sleep with her wrapped up in the safety of his arms, but he wanted her to feel comfortable.

If she needed to be alone, he could respect that.

Maybe she’d clung to him earlier because he was the only other one there.

But no, he couldn’t have imagined the chemistry and connection between them.

They set up their equipment for a secure video conference with their CO, quickly debriefing. “I understand you brought a hostage out of there,” he said, eyeing Blake over the small screen.

“Affirmative. We didn’t even know