Chapter 4
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R YAN LEAPT TO HIS FEET , instantly on alert for any danger. Once again, he’d been so wrapped up in Avery, he’d lost track of everything around him. Avery immediately stood at his side, and while he felt the urge to pull her behind him, ensuring her safety, he could see a mother and father rushing through the water to their injured child.
The little girl was holding her arm, screaming in pain, and his chest clenched. While he didn’t like seeing anyone hurt, there was something about an innocent child in pain that gutted him. “I think she broke her arm,” Avery said in alarm, suddenly all business. “I’ve got a first aid kit in my backpack.”
“Same here,” he murmured, realizing again how very much alike they were. Ryan knew she was dedicated to her nursing career, but she’d come prepared for their hike this morning as well. Some women might show up expecting him to do everything. He wouldn’t have minded, especially given that he’d been the one to invite her, but he admired that she was self-sufficient enough to arrive ready for the day’s adventure.
“Mommy, Mommy, it hurts!” the little girl wailed. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and other people were turning toward the scene.
“I know, baby. I know,” the mom said, looking slightly pale. “Let’s get out of the water.”
“Damn it,” the father was muttering before yelling for his other kids to be careful.
Avery was already pulling out supplies, and together, she and Ryan rushed toward the family. The father was carrying the child toward dry land, while the mother rounded up their other children.
“I’m a nurse,” Avery said in a clipped tone as they approached.
“She slipped and fell on the rocks,” the father said, looking slightly frazzled. “I told my kids to be careful, but—”
“My arm hurts!” the girl cried. “Daddy!”
Avery nodded, her gaze glancing between the father and the child. “There’s a gash on her head, too. Look at the blood.”
“Shit. I didn’t see that.” The man laid his daughter on the ground, and Avery and Ryan knelt down beside her. Ryan was already pulling out gauze to apply pressure to the head wound as Avery assessed her. He’d grabbed a towel as well, and they wrapped it around the girl since she was soaking wet. Avery was already in full nursing mode, ignoring the commotion going on around them as other people came to see what was happening. “Her pupils aren’t dilated. Breathing seems normal. Possible broken arm,” she said, gently moving her hands over the child. “Does it hurt anywhere else?”
“My head hurts,” she said, her lower lip wobbling.
“I know, sweetie,” Avery said. “You took quite a tumble. It’s just your head and your arm that hurt?”
“Yes,” she said, crying harder.
“The bone hasn’t broken through the skin,” Avery said in a low voice to the father. “We can splint her arm, but she needs X-rays. A cast. The hospital will be able to assess and determine if it will require surgery.”
“I’ll call 911,” Ryan said as he and Avery exchanged a look. “We can have an ambulance meet us at the parking lot.” It would take longer to wait for EMS to hike down to the waterfall and retrieve the child before bringing her back to the waiting emergency vehicles. If they splinted the girl’s broken bone, they could get her out of here much faster, getting her the medical care she needed.
They worked quickly, stabilizing the arm while the girl continued to cry. She wasn’t screaming like before but appeared to be in shock. “Do you have any dry clothes for her to wear?” Avery asked. “Or we could wrap her in more towels.”
“Yeah. Maybe. My wife packed the kids’ stuff,” the man said, glancing over to the mom, who was currently gathering up all their things while tending to their other children. “Do we have dry clothes for her?” he called out.
The mom began yanking things from a backpack, and Ryan rose, going to grab the zip-up hoodie from her. They wouldn’t slide the girl’s broken arm through the sleeve but could keep her somewhat warmer with it.
“We never got to eat lunch,” their little boy wailed, starting to cry.
“I know, but we’ll eat later and come back for a picnic another day,” the frazzled mom told him, rushing to stuff their remaining belongings into their backpacks and tote bags.
Ryan exchanged a glance with Avery. “We’ll help you get to the parking lot,” he told them.
Avery continued tending to the child, and Ryan swiftly moved toward their makeshift picnic to pack everything up. He was slightly disappointed by their abrupt departure but wouldn’t leave the family to fend for themselves with all those young children. He knew Avery wouldn’t either.
Aaron had told him a story once about a friend of Avery’s getting hurt when they were kids. Avery had made Aaron carry the little girl home. He shook his head as he hurriedly gathered their things. That sounded just like Avery—always quick to help someone who needed it. He just hoped she knew her limits when she traveled to Panama. Bad things could happen anywhere, but there weren’t exactly armed drug cartels in control of the hiking trails here in Oahu. The Darien Gap, however? He shuddered.
***
R YAN SET THE LITTLE boy he was carrying on the ground near the ambulance. The father had carried the injured girl as they hiked back to the parking lot, and the mother had been with their youngest child. The adults had all agreed it would be faster to transport the kids given their young age, and fortunately, the little boy Ryan held seemed okay with a stranger carrying him through the woods on an adventure.
He’d caught Avery looking at him a few times as they’d moved back up the trail through the rainforest, and he’d flashed her a grin. Clearly, she liked kids given her job as a pediatric nurse. Plus, she was great with this family’s three rugrats.
Did Ryan want kids one day?
Hell if he knew. He’d never gotten serious enough with a woman to really consider it. Kids were fine, but he wasn’t around them enough to give it much thought either way.
His own teammate, however, was now going to be a father. Layton’s pregnancy had been a surprise, but once Hudson “Torpedo” Brown had gotten his head out of his ass, he’d decided he was all in. Now he and Layton were a couple, expecting a child together. Life was funny sometimes. Hudson was the last guy that Ryan would have expected to become a father first out of his teammates, but sometimes you didn’t have a choice in the matter. He had to admit that Hudson seemed happy as hell given the new circumstances in his life.
Wonders never ceased.
Avery finished talking to the EMTs, both of whom admired the splint she’d put on the girl’s arm. Avery hadn’t been fazed in the least, no doubt used to dealing with pediatric emergencies at the hospital where she worked. She was truly in her element today, both calming the child and providing the appropriate medical care, and Ryan’s admiration for her grew even more.
He could never in good conscience try to talk her out of taking the position in South America. Even if she gave in, she’d eventually resent him for it. He’d have to hope like hell she was okay until she got back—and somehow find a way to stem his own concerns. Ryan was protective, especially toward those he cared about. While it gutted him to think of her in any danger, he had to admit he loved watching her shine. She’d be in her element, and he’d have to figure out a way to deal with it.
Ryan shook the father’s hand, and then the man was hustling his children to their SUV, the mom and injured girl both being loaded into the ambulance.
“Whew,” Avery said as the emergency vehicles left. “That was quite an eventful morning. And here I thought I was on vacation this week,” she joked.
“You were amazing,” he told her honestly.
She shrugged. “All in a day’s work. And hey, you weren’t so bad yourself.”
“We train for a variety of scenarios, but most civilians aren’t necessarily level-headed in an emergency. I’m impressed.”
“I’m not most civilians,” she said, looking highly amused at his comment. “I’m a medical professional. We train, too, just for different situations than you.”
“I know. I didn’t mean any offense,” he told her. His gaze moved to the trail and then back to her. “I’m guessing you don’t want to head back to the waterfall. We didn’t get much time to enjoy it, but it would double our hiking time to head there and back again.”
“We can hike back there another day,” she said. “But you know what? I hear Hawaii has some killer beaches.”
He chuckled. “Yep. There’s even a quiet one by my house—less touristy. Not that there’s anything wrong with tourists,” he teased, stepping into her space.
She flushed as she looked at him, those pretty blue eyes alight. “We’ll have to swing by my hotel first. I didn’t bring a swimsuit since you surprised me with the waterfall.”
“Yeah. Didn’t think that one all the way through,” he admitted, feeling sheepish. While he’d have no problem skinny dipping with Avery, there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d do it when someone else might catch sight of her.
He kissed her softly then carried their backpacks to his big SUV, easily loading them in before helping Avery into the passenger seat. She looked good sitting there. Right. He wasn’t used to driving a woman around but had become accustomed to it when she was visiting. She didn’t have a car here, so it made sense. Now it just felt natural.
An hour later, he was practically in seventh heaven, rubbing sunscreen over Avery’s slender shoulders and trying not to groan at the sight of her in a little yellow bikini.
Fuck, she was pretty. Svelte, toned limbs. Curves in the right places. And skin so smooth, he was dying to run his hands over every square inch. She’d taken her hair out of her ponytail, and long, blonde strands blew in the breeze. He paused what he was doing, shifting her hair aside, and planting a soft kiss on the back of her neck. Ryan didn’t miss the way she shuddered. He loved how affected she was by his touch.
He wanted to find all her secret places—discover what kisses and caresses would make her squirm for him. Moan. Cry out his name.
Avery glanced back over her shoulder at him, and even with the dark sunglasses she wore, he could feel the intensity of her gaze.
He felt the intense connection between them, too.
Ryan was drawn to her in a way that made little sense. Maybe if they’d seen each other more regularly over the past few months, she’d have lost some of her appeal. Some of her mystery. Or maybe not, because something about the way they connected was different than with any woman he’d been with before. They hadn’t even slept together yet, but damn. He already knew it would be incredible.
She broke his gaze, glancing back out to the water as a wave crashed on the shore.
His big hands moved over her back, readying to apply more sunblock. “Untie the strings,” she told him, lowering herself to the ground and then lying face down on the towel and turning her head to the side. “I don’t want to burn.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he quipped, but he took a little too much pleasure in kneeling over her and tugging on those little straps, undoing the ties. His cock thickened, but he willed himself to calm down. They were on a public beach. It was quieter than the touristy ones, but he wasn’t about to be ravishing her right here. Still, he enjoyed massaging the coconut sunscreen into her soft skin. Feeling the heat of her body. Breathing in her floral scent. She groaned slightly as he kneaded her shoulders, and he smiled.
“That feel good?” he asked.
“Too good.”
He chuckled, massaging her back and enjoying himself as he applied more sunblock. His fingertips teased the side of her breast in one stroke, and he swallowed. One quick flip, and she’d be bared to him.
And the rest of the beach, he thought with regret.
The side swell of her breast was plump and perfect, paler than the rest of her skin. Ryan could be a gentleman, though. There were families nearby. Children. And he was supposed to be applying sunscreen to Avery, not getting handsy.
“This is like torture,” he groaned. “You, looking all gorgeous and half naked on the beach.”
“Be good,” she told him, flashing Ryan a knowing look. Her pink lips were curved in a smile.
He smirked. “You’re making it damn hard,” he muttered.
Her laughter made him realize his unintended sexual innuendo. “That’s not what I meant, but....” He cleared his throat as she giggled even more. “Yep. It’s definitely getter harder.” Avery’s shoulders shook with laughter, and he bit back a grin. This woman would be the death of him.
He wanted to playfully swat her ass for teasing him, but again.... Public. Beach.
Oh, how he wanted to get this woman alone. But it sure as shit wouldn’t be happening right now.
Ryan finished rubbing sunscreen into her back and retied the strings of her bikini top. It was a damn shame, but yeah. He sure as hell wasn’t willing to share her with anyone else happening to stroll by.
Avery was his. Somehow, she’d gotten under his skin months ago. Every phone call and text had brought them closer, and after today? After their shared kisses and quiet moments?
Damn.
It would be a real struggle for him to let her fly free until she came back to him. Panama. The Darien Gap. He was sending her straight into danger. Naturally, he hadn’t met a timid woman who wanted to play it safe. Then again, Avery’s adventurous nature was part of what had drawn him to her in the first place. If she was scared of the world, content to remain home all her life, she might never have flown to Oahu in the first place.
And he’d be missing out on all this.
“You want me to do your back now?” she asked, smiling contentedly. He was still kneeling above her and should move, but damn. She looked so sweetly sexy lying there, he wanted to memorize the moment.
“You can do whatever you want to me,” he said.
She made an amused sound, beaming at him as she shifted positions, forcing him to move. Avery sat on the beach towel once more and adjusted her bikini top. Ryan could see a hint of her nipples beneath the yellow fabric. Her breasts were proportionate to her body—not too big, not too small. Just fucking right. She’d fill his hands perfectly, and for a brief flash, he could see it. Avery, naked in his bed, Ryan kissing and caressing those perfect globes as she rode him, her blonde hair spilling around her, Ryan thrusting upward as they made love. His girl crying out his name.
It was so vivid, he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
Avery reached over to grab the sunblock he’d dropped, and his gaze landed on her once more. Her bikini bottoms covered a damn fine ass. He felt like a teenage boy around her, suddenly trying not to embarrass himself in his swim trunks on the beach. He was a goddamn Navy SEAL, yet his body reacted to her on a base level. Blood pumping. Cock hardening. It was like every cell in his body wanted to be closer to her. Needed to feel and taste her warm, smooth skin. Explore those killer curves. Make her his in every way.
She shifted so that she was behind him, both of them on the beach towel, and Ryan enjoyed the feel of Avery’s delicate hands moving over the muscles of his back. “You really should keep in better shape,” she joked, and he huffed out a laugh.
He was used to looks from women on the beach, but none of it compared to Avery’s eyes on him.
As she covered his shoulders with sunblock, her hands rose up, lightly playing with the short-cropped hair just above the back of her neck. He could feel as she leaned closer, her breasts pressing against his back, her breath on his neck before she gave him a soft kiss.
Ryan pounced, turning and catching her in his arms. Avery squealed in delight, laughing, and he lowered her back onto the towel, kissing her long and slow, enjoying every fucking second.
Avery’s phone buzzing had them both pausing, and she fumbled to grab it from her beach bag. She’d left the backpack at her hotel, and once again, he was amazed that she’d rolled right along with their day. There was no excessive primping for the change of plans. She’d put on a bikini and flowy coverup, slid into her flipflops, and quickly packed a bag for their newest adventure.
“It’s Aaron,” she said as she looked at her phone. “I texted him on the way over and said to make the reservation for four people instead of three tonight.”
Ryan chuckled. “How’d he take it?”
Her lips quirked as she thumbed a response, and she flipped her phone around, showing him the screen.
Avery: Make the dinner reservation for 4 people, not 3.
Aaron: Seriously?
Avery: Yep. Looking forward to catching up.
Aaron: Same here.
Aaron: Tell Ryan I’ll see him soon.
Avery: Ha ha.
Ryan shook his head. “Man. Guess I should keep my hands to myself this evening?”
Avery flashed him a sly look. “Please. Have you seen how obsessed Aaron is with Emersyn? A little PDA won’t hurt him. Plus, look on the bright side. He’ll be so pissed that I’m taking a job in South America, he won’t care one bit about you.”
Ryan grumbled but kissed her again, tossing the phone aside. She was laughing through their kisses as he pulled her close, and Ryan tried to remember a time he’d been this happy.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Avery said a few minutes later, Ryan spread out beside her in the sand.
“You’re beautiful.”
“You’re a flirt.”
“Only with you.” She looked over at him and smiled, and Ryan took her hand, weaving his fingers between her own. It was a perfect, sunny Saturday at the beach. Too perfect. Aaron was going to be pissed when he saw them tonight, for more reasons than one. The new job. The move. The fact that he was at her side.
Ryan gripped her hand tighter.
Avery would never forgive him if he tried to stop her from leaving, but would he be able to forgive himself if something happened to her while she was gone?